FDA advisors unanimously vote to approve Moderna's mRNA after agency drama
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
FDA advisors unanimously voted to approve Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine after a Trump official blocked its review.
Independent FDA advisors voted 9-0 to approve Moderna's mRNA seasonal flu vaccine, mRNA-1010 (mFlusiva). A Phase 3 trial in 40,000 adults aged 50+ showed 27% greater efficacy against flu versus a standard shot; a smaller trial in those 65+ showed stronger immune responses than a high-dose vaccine. The safety profile was generally good. The vote followed controversy: in February, Trump official Vinay Prasad rejected Moderna's filing over objections from FDA scientists, but the FDA reversed within a week. Prasad was ousted in April. The FDA will decide by August 5; CDC recommendation faces hurdles due to a judge blocking Kennedy's appointees to the ACIP.
What commenters are saying
Commenters broadly supported the vote as a step toward restoring scientific expertise at the FDA, criticizing Prasad's tenure as a subversion of merit and truth. Another camp blamed federal actions during COVID (suppression of lab leak theory, vaccine efficacy claims) for eroding trust and enabling anti-vaccine sentiment. Some expressed skepticism that the FDA will ultimately approve, citing political interference and anti-science attitudes in the US. A reply argued HN's own drive-by takedowns of expertise mirror the FDA's subversion, but others countered the stakes are far higher at the agency.