Moderna Is Developing 2 New Vaccines—And 1 Could Protect Against the Common Cold
The two vaccines aim to reduce the impact of respiratory illnesses on public health, especially among older adults.
HEALTH – Biotechnology company Moderna is expanding its mRNA technology.
The makers of the Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine are now working on two more vaccines: one to protect against SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); and another for the four endemic human coronaviruses, which can cause the common cold.
The new vaccines—for which development programs have only just launched—aim to reduce the impact that respiratory viruses have on public health, especially among older adults who are more susceptible to severe illness, according to a news release from the company.
Mark Cameron, PhD, an associate professor in the department of population and quantitative health sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine who is not involved in the vaccine development, told Health:
“The U.S. population is aging and it’s not hard to predict that common cold viruses will wield an increasingly uncommon burden on our older adults, especially those in caregiving settings,”
“Given the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, especially in older adults, it’s welcome news that the companies who’ve made them are developing new programs to tackle other viral respiratory infections.”
Two New Vaccines for Common Respiratory Illnesses
Of the two vaccines Moderna is working on, the first is a three-in-one combination respiratory vaccine candidate, known for now as mRNA-1230.
It’s proposed to be an annual booster used to protect against SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and RSV. Those viruses are the three most significant viruses that cause respiratory disease in older adults.
The second vaccine proposed by Moderna is meant to protect against four endemic human coronaviruses … READ MORE.
