Thousands to get experimental vaccine as bird flu spead 'real possibility'

Thousands to get experimental vaccine as bird flu spead 'real possibility'The A(H5N1) strain of the virus is “evolving and spreading”CommentsNewsNeil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)06:18, 22 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesA man being given a vaccine jabA first-of-its-kind trial has been launched to test a new vaccine for bird flu in humans. Thousands of people in the UK are expected to be recruited for the study, with poultry farmers or those who have close contacts with birds encouraged to sign up.‌The A(H5N1) strain of the virus is “evolving and spreading” in animals, and while it does not yet move easily between people, human-to-human transmission must be treated “as a real possibility”, experts said. The mRNA-1018 vaccine, developed by Moderna, uses mRNA technology, similar to jabs for Covid-19.‌It instructs the body to produce specific proteins from a specific virus to help train the immune system to recognise and respond quickly if it comes into contact with the illness. The phase 3 trial will include around 4,000 people in the UK and US.‌Some 3,000 UK patients – half of whom will be over 65 – will have the jabs at 26 sites across England and Scotland. Poultry farmers or people who have close contact with birds are encouraged to sign up.View 3 ImagesBird flu has been mutating and spreading in animalsThe A(H5N1) strain has come to affect birds globally in recent years, but has also caused outbreaks among other animals such as mink and marine mammals. It had also spread to dairy cows in the US, with a number of human cases in those working on farms with affected cattle.‌The study, backed by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and sponsored by Moderna, will take seven months, with patients given two doses of the vaccine three weeks apart. According to Dr Hiwot Hiruy, senior director of clinical development at Moderna, said early trials of the jab found it to be “generally well tolerated, with most of the side-effects being mild...