“The Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna’s mRNA-based flu vaccine Wednesday for adults ages 50 and older, clearing the first shot of its kind after a review process that nearly collapsed in February.

The vaccine, called mFlusiva, uses the same messenger RNA technology as Moderna’s Covid-19 shots. It could reach pharmacies in time for the coming flu season, which typically starts in the fall…

Traditional flu shots are grown in chicken eggs, a process that takes about six months and forces manufacturers to guess months in advance which strains will circulate. Moderna’s mRNA shot can be made in as little as two to three months, meaning it could better match the actual virus once flu season arrives…

In a study of more than 40,000 adults, mFlusiva cut the risk of flu by 26.6% compared with a standard-dose vaccine. That reduction was 47.9% against flu severe enough to send patients to the hospital or urgent care.”

From Wall Street Journal.