The U.S. government has awarded Moderna $590 million to advance the development of its bird flu vaccine, as the country doubles down on efforts to tackle increasing infections in humans.

CAMBRIDGE, MA / ACCESS Newswire / January 17, 2025 / Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) today announced ongoing support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to accelerate the development of mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccines.

The United States government has allocated $590 million to Moderna to develop a vaccine for avian influenza, part of an initiative to address the increasing

Moderna’s current price is less than $20 below the psychologically significant $50 price level. Traders often focus on these round-numbered levels as support and resistance points for a stock. Traders should expect that Moderna will see another surge in buying if the stock remains above $50 for more than two trading sessions.

With cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) continuing to rise among cattle and humans in the US, scientists and government health officials are preparing for the potential of the virus adapting to enable human-to-human transmission.

Moderna receives $590M contract from HHS for mRNA-based bird flu vaccine; up 4% in after-hours trading. Read more here.

Moderna (MRNA) announced ongoing support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, to accelerate the development of

Funding will also support the expansion of clinical studies for up to five additional subtypes of pandemic influenza

US health officials announced Friday they were awarding $590 million to Moderna to develop mRNA vaccines against influenza, including advancing the company’s bird flu vaccine, as fears of a new pandemic grow.

The H5N1 virus is common in wild birds and other animals. While it has not conclusively been found to spread from person to person, the amount of bird flu circulating among animals and humans has alarmed scientists.

The package will provide additional support for late-stage development and licensure of pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccines, the company said