Combo flu and COVID-19 shot shows promise in new Moderna study
FILE-A researcher works in the lab at the Moderna Inc. headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A combination shot for flu and COVID-19 to determine if this new vaccine is capable of protecting people from getting sick was tested in a study.
Moderna study releases findings on combo shot
Why you should care:
This new COVID-19 and flu combo shot uses messenger RNA generated antibodies and has the potential to improve vaccination rates.
The mRNA is used in approved COVID-19 and RSV shots but hasn’t gained approval so far for a flu shot. Moderna also thinks mRNA is capable of speeding up production of flu shots compared with other practices that utilize chicken eggs or giant vats of cells.
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In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers from Moderna reported that the new combo shot produced a stronger immune response against COVID-19 and most strains of flu than existing standalone shots in people 50 and older.
The study noted that side effects were injection site pain, fatigue, and headaches. Moderna previously shared the results from the company-sponsored trial involving 8,000 people.
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Data in the study is based on measuring antibodies in the participants’ blood after 29 days, a sign that the shot can produce temporary disease protection.
The Associated Press reported that Moderna moved its target date for the vaccine's approval to 2026 after the Food and Drug Administration requested a more direct measure: how much the shot lowered the risk of disease.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press and the Moderna study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.