Better Safe Than Sorry: Prepping Bird Flu Vaccines for Humans, Just in Case

In an effort to anticipate future disease outbreaks, health experts have taken the precaution of creating a bird flu vaccine for humans, staying prepared and on top of their game in the unlikely-but-possible event of an outbreak.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bird flu represents a low risk for humans. In fact, there hasn’t been any recorded human-to-human spread of the current H5N1 virus.

Three of the world’s largest flu vaccine manufacturers – GSK Plc Moderna, CSL Seqirus, and Sanofi – are prepared to produce bird vaccines. The first two are focusing their efforts on developing a vaccine that focuses on the current subtype of avian influenza, H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, as a precautionary measure, while the third one already has human vaccines for existing H5N1 and could start manufacturing them should the need arises.