How Covid Vaccine Technology Could Improve Flu Vaccines
“You want folks to feel comfortable strolling into CVS and getting their shot, and not be worried about adverse events,” said Rose Loughlin, vice president for research and development strategy at Moderna.
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- Vaccine rules. On Aug. 23, the F.D.A. granted full approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine for people 16 and up, paving the way for mandates in both the public and private sectors. Such mandates are legally allowed and have been upheld in court challenges.
- College and universities. More than 400 colleges and universities are requiring students to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Almost all are in states that voted for President Biden.
- Schools. California became the first state to issue a vaccine mandate for all educators and to announce plans to add the Covid-19 vaccine as a requirement to attend school, which could start as early as next fall. Los Angeles already has a vaccine mandate for public school students 12 and older that begins Nov. 21. New York City’s mandate for teachers and staff, which went into effect Oct. 4 after delays due to legal challenges, appears to have prompted thousands of last-minute shots.
- Hospitals and medical centers. Many hospitals and major health systems are requiring employees to get vaccinated. Mandates for health care workers in California and New York State appear to have compelled thousands of holdouts to receive shots.
- Indoor activities. New York City requires workers and customers to show proof of at least one dose of the Covid-19 for indoor dining, gyms, entertainment and performances. Starting Nov. 4, Los Angeles will require most people to provide proof of full vaccination to enter a range of indoor businesses, including restaurants, gyms, museums, movie theaters and salons, in one of the nation’s strictest vaccine rules.
- At the federal level. On Sept. 9, President Biden announced a vaccine mandate for the vast majority of federal workers. This mandate will apply to employees of the executive branch, including the White House and all federal agencies and members of the armed services.
- In the private sector. Mr. Biden has mandated that all companies with more than 100 workers require vaccination or weekly testing, helping propel new corporate vaccination policies. Some companies, like United Airlines and Tyson Foods, had mandates in place before Mr. Biden’s announcement.
But then in early 2020, just as they were hoping to begin a new flu trial, the scientists had to shelve the plan. A new coronavirus was exploding in China.
Combo shots
Over the next year, Moderna made and tested a Covid mRNA vaccine in record speed. And its shot, like that of its primary competitor, Pfizer-BioNTech, was remarkably protective, with an efficacy rate around 95 percent.
The success of mRNA vaccines delivered huge revenues to both companies. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is on track to become the best-selling medicine of all time. And Moderna’s market cap since the beginning of the pandemic increased 19-fold to around $123 billion.
Riding the mRNA wave, these companies, along with Sanofi and Seqirus, are moving on to seasonal flu projects.
Jean-François Toussaint, Sanofi Pasteur’s head of global research and development, cautioned that the success of mRNA vaccines against Covid did not guarantee similar results for influenza.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/09/science/mrna-flu-vaccines.html