Moderna’s combined flu and Covid vaccine could cut down visits to your doctor as it proves to be just as effective as separate shots

An experimental combination vaccine against flu and Covid could be as effective as getting two separate shots, clinical trials suggest.

The vaccine, developed by pharmaceutical giant Moderna, has been tested in ongoing Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials in adults aged 50 to 79, the most vulnerable groups to both diseases.

Researchers found it induces “strong” immune responses and is safe, the company announced Wednesday.

The results come as fewer than one in five Americans have rolled up their sleeves for the updated Covid boosters, and two-thirds said they would not give them to their children.

Moderna will begin Phase 3 testing in adults over 50 later this year.

Less than a fifth of US adults plan to get the updated Covid booster, and about two-thirds don’t plan to let their children get it. Moderna estimates that 50 to 100 million doses of Covid vaccine will be given this year

Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna, said: “With today’s positive results from our combination vaccine against influenza and COVID-19, we continue to expand our Phase 3 pipeline.

“Flu and COVID-19 pose a significant seasonal burden on individuals, healthcare providers, healthcare systems and economies. Combination vaccines provide an important opportunity to improve the consumer and provider experience, increase compliance with public health recommendations, and create value for healthcare systems.

“We are excited to advance combination respiratory vaccines into Phase 3 development and look forward to working with public health officials to address the significant seasonal threat these viruses pose to humans.”

The ongoing study compared the safety of the combination vaccine, called mRNA-1083, in adults aged 65 to 79 years with that of the standard flu shot in adults aged 50 to 64. They also measured mRNA-1083 with the updated Covid booster in both groups. .

In the phase 1/2 trial, mRNA-1083 had antibody levels similar to or higher than those illegally produced by both the flu shot and the updated Covid vaccine, when administered separately.

The combination vaccine also had a similar safety profile to the Covid shot, including headache, injection site pain, swelling and fatigue, and there were no additional safety concerns.

Moderna aims to have the combination vaccine approved in 2025.

This is not the first two-in-one vaccine in development. In December, Pfizer announced its own vaccine targeting the Omicron Covid variant and its offshoots, as well as four flu variants.

A company spokesperson previously told DailyMail.com that there were no plans to develop this vaccine to replace the standard two-dose jab.

Annaliesa Anderson, Pfizer’s head of scientific research and vaccine development, said the mRNA technology is “well suited” to tackling other viruses.

“Pfizer is very proud of our ongoing work to explore its potential to provide protection against influenza and Covid in one combination vaccine,” she said.

‘We believe this could simplify immunization practices against these two respiratory pathogens, potentially leading to improved vaccine uptake for both diseases.

“Even with existing seasonal flu vaccines, the burden of this virus is severe around the world, causing thousands of deaths and hospitalizations every year.”

A combination vaccine may increase a person’s chances of receiving a fly and Covid vaccine because it eliminates the need for multiple visits to a doctor or emergency care to receive both doses.

Less than a fifth of US adults plan to get the updated Covid booster, and about two-thirds do not plan to let their children get it. Moderna estimates that 50 to 100 million Covid vaccines will be given this year.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 83.6 million doses of the flu shot were distributed during the 2023-2024 flu season.