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The H5N1 bird flu virus has aroused fears throughout the country and spread out to dairy cattle.
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Thianchai Sitthikongsak/Moment RF/Getty Pictures
The Federal Government announced on Wednesday that it would terminate a contract to develop a vaccine to protect people from flu viruses that could cause Pandemia, including the bird flu virus, which is spreading in dairy cows in the USA, and cited concerns about the safety of the MRNA technology used.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it ends a contract of 766 million US dollars with the Vaccination Company Moderna to develop an MRNA vaccine to protect people from flu storms with pandemical potential, including the H5N1 bird flippation virus, which causes fear.
“After a strict review, we came to the conclusion that the continued investment in the H5N1 mRNA -vaccine by Moderna was neither scientifically nor ethically justified,” said Andrew Nixon, communication director of HHS, in a statement.
“This is not just about safety, integrity and trust. The reality is that mRNA technology remains undervalued and that we do not spend any taxpayers’ duties in order to repeat the mistake of the last administration, which hides legitimate security concerns to the public,” said Nixon.
He added that “movement of the priorities of federal vaccine financing to platforms with better established security profiles and transparent data practices signaled. The official did not provide any additional details.
Jennifer NuzzoThe director of the Brown University’s Pandemic Center said that the decision was “disappointing, but in view of the politically motivated, evidence-free rhetoric, which tries to paint mrna vaccines as dangerous”.
“While there are other means of producing flu vaccine in a pandemic, they are slower and some are dependent on eggs, which may be poor,” added Nuzzo in an e -mail. “What we have learned clearly during the last influenza pandemic is that there are only a few companies in the world that produce flu vaccine, which means that in a pandemic it is not enough to walk around. If the United States wants to make sure that it can get enough vaccines for every American who wants it during a pandemic To bring basket. “
The cancellation occurs, although Moderna says that a study with 300 healthy adults had achieved “positive interim results” and the company had previously expected to promote the program in the development of the late stage “.
“While the end of the financing of HHS uncertainty results, we look forward to the investigation of our H5 flu vaccine examined in this intermediate analysis of the phase 1/2 and we will examine alternative ways for the program, said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer from Moderna, said the CEO of Stéphane, who said Chief Executive Officer from Moderna, Moderna’s CEO, said Chief Executive Officer of Moderna, said Moderna CEO, Moderna CEO, said CEO of Moderna, said CEO of Stéphane, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. In a statement. “This clinical data in Pandemic influenza underline the crucial role that MRNA technology played as a countermeasure compared to emerging health threats.”
The government’s step took sharp criticism from external experts.
“This decision is endangered life and health of the American people,” said Dr. Ashish jhaThe Dean of the Brown School of Public Health, who worked as President Biden as a Covid 19 reaction coordinator.
“Bird flu is a well -known threat and the virus has developed. If the virus spread from person to person, we were able to see a large number of people sick and die from this infection,” said JHA. “The program for the development of the next generation of vaccines was essential for the protection of the Americans. The administration’s attack on the MRNA vaccine platform is absurd.”
Michael OsterholmDirector of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota agreed.
“This decision will prepare our country far less to react to the next influenza pandemic,” he said in an e -mail. “This is a dangerous course.”
According to the centers for the control and prevention of diseasesThe H5N1 flu virus has spread to 41 herds of dairy cattle, 24 poultry farms and culling operations and caused 70 cases of people. While the virus in other countries had a high mortality rate, H5N1 has so far only caused one death in the United States and has not shown any signs that the spread of one person spreads to another. However, experts in infectious diseases are concerned that the likelihood that the risk of pandemic to person spreads out, the more the virus spreads, the greater it could mutate into a form.