The News
Early tests of a bird flu vaccine for cattle showed promise, raising hopes that it could reduce both the disease’s economic impact and the risk of a major human outbreak.
The H5N1 avian influenza virus was first reported in US dairy cattle in March 2024 and has affected more than 1,000 herds in 17 states, as well as causing dozens of human infections and one death.
The new mRNA-based vaccine created a strong immune response in calves and reduced their levels of the virus, although the research has not yet been peer-reviewed.
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The vaccine may also face “political headwinds,” Nature reported: Lawmakers in several US states have moved to ban mRNA vaccines, and the US health secretary is a noted vaccine skeptic.
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