CDC looks to expand capacity to test for H5N1 bird flu in people A top CDC official said the agency is looking to increase the number and types of tests that can detect H5N1 infections in people. Megan Molteni STAT

...

U.S. awards Moderna $176 million to produce bird flu vaccine

The U.S. government has awarded $176 million to Moderna to advance development of its bird flu vaccine, the company said on Tuesday, as concerns rise over a multi-state outbreak of H5N1 virus in dairy cows and infections of three dairy workers since March.

The funds from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will be used to complete late-stage development and testing of a pre-pandemic mRNA-based vaccine against H5N1 avian influenza, the company said in a statement....

Scientists wary of bird flu pandemic 'unfolding in slow motion' Scientists tracking the spread of bird flu are increasingly concerned that gaps in surveillance may keep them several steps behind a new pandemic, according to Reuters interviews with more than a dozen leading disease experts. Julie Steenhuysen,Jennifer Rigby Reuters

...

Finland to start bird flu vaccinations for humans, in world first Finland plans to offer preemptive bird flu vaccination as soon as next week to some workers with exposure to animals, health authorities said on Tuesday, making it the first country in the world to do so. Reuters Reuters

...