The strange reason flu shots have been so hard to improve
On August 5, 2025, the Department of Health and Human Services canceled 22 mRNA vaccine projects worth roughly $500 million and told the country it would stop investing in the technology that had brought us life-saving Covid vaccines. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, claimed that the data showed these vaccines […]
The approval of mFLUSIVA, the first mRNA influenza vaccine ever licensed in the United States, occurred exactly one year after the Department of Health and Human Services canceled 22 mRNA vaccine projects and stopped investing in the technology. This timing was due to the FDA's deadline set in February for reviewing Moderna's application, which they initially refused but later reversed.
Despite initial skepticism from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nine experts who voted unanimously in favor of the vaccine's benefits were appointed under his leadership. The vaccine's approval highlights the potential for mRNA technology in combating influenza, as the egg-based production method currently used is slow and unable to keep up with the rapidly evolving nature of flu viruses.
With flu season producing millions of illnesses and deaths annually, a more effective vaccine could have significant public health implications.
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