Moderna Using COVID-19 Vaccine Technology To Make Flu, HIV Shots
CAMBRIDGE (CBS/AP) – Moderna says the technology it used to develop a COVID-19 vaccine will now be used to develop three new vaccines, including shots for the seasonal flu and HIV.
"We are announcing three new vaccine programs addressing seasonal flu, HIV and the Nipah virus, some of which have eluded traditional vaccine efforts, and all of which we believe can be addressed with our mRNA technology," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement.
The mRNA technology allowed Moderna to make a COVID-19 vaccine without using the actual live virus. Instead it uses the genetic code to train the body's immune system to recognize the spiked protein on the surface of the virus.
The Cambridge-based company said it's flu shot will hopefully be a combination vaccine against seasonal flu and COVID-19.
They expect to start phase 1 clinical trials this year.
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