FDA signs off on Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine for older adults

The FDA has approved Moderna's mRNA seasonal flu vaccine, mFLUSIVA, for adults 50 and older, according to ABC30. Moderna said Wednesday the regulator cleared the shot, and Meridia reported the approval came nearly six months after the FDA briefly rejected an application for review. The approval covers two separate age groups: people 50 to 64 and those 65 and older, NewsNation reported. For the older group, Men's Journal said, it is an accelerated approval, meaning Moderna still owes additional clinical data. The vaccine is expected to be available for the 2026-2027 respiratory illness season, per ABC30. "marking the first mRNA-based flu shot ever cleared for wide use." That milestone takes the mRNA platform that defined the COVID-era vaccine push into a new annual ritual, with IBTimes noting the new platform carries the potential for faster strain updates. "introducing a new vaccine platform with the potential for faster strain updates." Beyond flu, researchers see potential for the technology to tackle HIV and malaria, according to Washington University in St. Louis. The approval also cements mRNA's broader medical footprint, which The News International described as "a pioneering mRNA formulation that was key to ending the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic."

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