European regulators approved a combination Moderna vaccine targeting COVID-19 and influenza. The vaccine, called mCombriax, is the first combo flu-COVID vaccine cleared by the European Commission for use in those 50 and older.
Stephane Bancel, Moderna’s CEO, said in a statement on the matter, “We welcome the European Commission’s approval of mCOMBRIAX, the world’s first flu plus COVID-19 combination vaccine. By combining protection against two significant respiratory viruses in a single dose, our vaccine aims to simplify immunization for adults, particularly those at high risk.” He said the inoculation “offers an important new option for Europeans, while also aiming to strengthen the resilience of healthcare systems across Europe.”
Moderna’s vaccine will now be made available in the 27 European Union member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The vaccine is the company’s fourth authorized product.
Europe’s medical regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), recommended the approval of Moderna’s COVID-19-flu vaccine in February. According to the agency, the vaccine “triggered the production of adequate amounts of antibodies” against both COVID-19 and influenza.
The agency’s recommendation stems from a study involving 8,000 people age 50 and older that demonstrated that those who received the vaccine had “levels of antibodies against influenza and SARS-CoV-2 that were statistically non‑inferior to those seen in people who received both Spikevax (an authorised COVID-19 mRNA vaccine) and either Fluzone HD or Fluarix (authorised influenza vaccines),” the entity explained.
Side effects linked to the mRNA vaccine include pain, tiredness, muscle pain, joint pain, headache, chills, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
