The World Health Organization launched a new initiative intended to introduce a new human avian influenza vaccine using the same technology that helped develop COVID-19 vaccines. Avian influenza is also commonly called the "bird flu."
The WHO said it is working with manufacturer Sinergium Biotech to develop bird flu vaccines that can easily be shipped to low- and middle-income nations. The WHO said that Sinergium Biotech has developed a vaccine candidate and that the manufacturer will begin conducting preclinical trials.
The WHO said that data from preclinical trials would be shared with other manufacturers to help accelerate the study and production of bird flu vaccines.
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Officials express concern that the avian flu can cause a significant public health risk and could be the cause of a future pandemic. The WHO said that having a bird flu vaccine studied and readily available reduces the likelihood of a future pandemic.
"This initiative exemplifies why WHO established the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme – to foster greater research, development and production in low- and middle-income countries, so that when the next pandemic arrives, the world will be better prepared to mount a more effective and more equitable response," Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said in a statement.
Bird flu typically spreads from animal to animal, but has jumped to 14 humans in the U.S. since 2022, all of whom interacted with infected cows or poultry.
