Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
There is a new flu shot this fall. It is called mFlusiva. It is made by a company called Moderna.
It uses mRNA. This is the same kind of science as some COVID shots. The shot teaches the body how to fight the flu virus.
Scientists tested it on 40,000 people. People who got the new shot got sick about 27 percent less than people who got a normal shot.
The new shot is for adults who are 50 years old or older.
- flu
- An illness that makes you hot, tired and sore.
- shot
- A small needle that puts medicine in your arm.
- vaccine
- A medicine that helps your body fight a sickness.
- virus
- A very small germ that makes you sick.
- mRNA
- A small message that tells the body how to make a protection.
- scientist
- A person who studies the world with tests.
- adult
- A grown person.
- fall
- The season between summer and winter.
Level 2 — Elementary
The US Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna's new flu vaccine, mFlusiva, on August 5. It is the first flu vaccine made with mRNA technology, the same idea used in some COVID shots. It is for adults who are 50 and older.
The approval is based on a study of about 40,000 people. Half got mFlusiva and half got a regular flu shot. The mRNA group had about 27 percent fewer flu cases.
Another study, in the journal Nature Immunology, found that the shot makes the body build stronger protection. People had much higher antibody levels one month after the shot, and the levels stayed high for six months.
Researchers at Washington University also found that the mRNA shot helps the body recognise more types of flu virus.
- approved
- Officially said yes to something.
- technology
- Machines or methods made using science.
- antibody
- A protein in the body that fights germs.
- regular
- Normal or usual.
- protection
- Something that keeps you safe.
- researcher
- A person who studies a subject carefully.
- recognise
- To know something when you see it again.
- journal
- A magazine where scientists publish their work.
Level 3 — Intermediate
The first flu vaccine built on mRNA technology is arriving for the new season. The US Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna's mFlusiva on August 5 for adults aged 50 and over. Approval rested on a trial of roughly 40,000 people who received either the new shot or a conventional flu vaccine; the mRNA group experienced about 27 percent fewer cases of flu.
Separate research adds to the picture. A paper in Nature Immunology reported that the mRNA vaccine produced a stronger and longer lasting immune response than conventional shots, with much higher antibody levels one month after vaccination that persisted for six months. In adults 65 and older, a different phase 3 study found higher antibody responses than a high dose standard vaccine against all four matched strains.
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine have also found that the mRNA design helps the immune system recognise a wider range of influenza viruses than today's standard shots, which could matter in years when the circulating strains differ from those chosen months earlier.
Public health experts caution that more data on real world performance will arrive as the season progresses.
- conventional
- Based on what is traditionally done.
- trial
- A scientific test, often on people.
- persisted
- Continued to exist.
- response
- A reaction.
- phase 3 study
- A large late stage test of a medicine.
- strain
- A particular type of a virus.
- circulating
- Spreading among people.
- caution
- To warn someone to be careful.
Level 4 — Advanced
A new chapter in influenza prevention has opened with the arrival of the first flu vaccine built on mRNA technology. The US Food and Drug Administration cleared Moderna's mFlusiva on August 5 for adults aged 50 and over, on the strength of a trial of roughly 40,000 participants in which the mRNA recipients suffered about 27 percent fewer cases than those given a conventional shot.
The immunological detail is equally striking. Research in Nature Immunology found that the vaccine elicits a more robust and more durable response, with markedly higher antibody titres one month after vaccination that remained elevated at six months. A separate phase 3 study in adults 65 and older showed higher antibody responses than a high dose conventional vaccine against all four vaccine matched strains.
Investigators at Washington University School of Medicine report that the mRNA platform also broadens the immune system's recognition of influenza viruses, a potentially significant advantage in seasons when the circulating strains drift away from those selected months earlier.
Public health specialists nevertheless counsel patience, noting that trial conditions seldom capture every variable of a real flu season and that effectiveness data from actual use will be the final test.
- elicits
- Brings out a reaction.
- robust
- Strong and effective.
- durable
- Able to last a long time.
- markedly
- To a clear and noticeable degree.
- titre
- A measure of how much of an antibody is in the blood.
- platform
- A technology base that can be used for many products.
- investigator
- A researcher who studies something in detail.
- counsel
- To advise.
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