The U.S. already has a stash of bird flu vaccines that match the current strain, along with antivirals ready to tackle human infections. But if the bird flu takes flight into a major epidemic or pandemic, a substantial scale-up will be on the agenda.
Officials noted they’re converting bulk vaccine from CSL into finished doses, potentially yielding 4.8 million shots. Plus, they’re in “active conversations” with mRNA maestros Pfizer (NYSE) and Moderna about a possible human vaccine.
Just last week, U.S. officials confirmed the nation’s second human case of bird flu since the virus made its mooooove into dairy cattle in late March. The growing spread to mammals, including the first outbreaks in U.S. dairy cows, has stoked fears about the virus jumping to humans via the milk supply.