Moderna Starts Large Bird Flu Study Despite Earlier HHS Funding Loss

WEDNESDAY, April 22, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A new effort to prepare for future bird flu outbreaks is moving forward, despite a major funding setback.

The American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna has initiated a large clinical trial around a vaccine designed to protect people against bird flu, enrolling participants in the United States and Britain.

The study is expected to include about 4,000 adults. The company said the first participants have already received a shot.

The vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA), the same technology used in many COVID-19 vaccines.

Earlier research involving about 300 healthy adults showed promising results for safety and immune response, Moderna said.

The trial had been delayed after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cut funding last year that had been set aside to support the development of pandemic flu vaccines, The Washington Post reported.

Despite the blow, Moderna secured as much as $54.3 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, a global group that supports vaccine development.

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel called the trial an important step to “strengthen global pandemic preparedness," The Post reported.

“Our platform technology’s efficiency and scalability are critical to supporting global health security and responding to potential future threats,” he said.

The cuts came after Trump administration officials began to question whether mRNA vaccines should continue to receive public funding at all.

In a statement, HHS said it reduced mRNA vaccine funding after a "rigorous review," adding the technology "remains under-tested" for some uses, THe Post said.

"Last year, HHS wound down its investments in mRNA vaccines for upper respiratory viruses because they do not protect effectively against infections from mutating strain of viruses such as COVID and flu," HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in a statement.

"Also, these companies had already been massively subsidized by the government, and we decided to reinvest the money in other more promising technologies," he added.

At the same time, officials said they see the potential for mRNA technology in other areas, such as cancer.

Experts noted that mRNA vaccines used during the pandemic were shown to be safe and effective, and they are able to be developed more quickly than traditional vaccines.

More information

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has more on bird flu.

SOURCE: The Washington Post, April 21, 2026