FDA approves first mRNA seasonal flu vaccine, mFlusiva, a year after funding cuts

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval to mFlusiva, the first mRNA‑based seasonal influenza vaccine, after its advisory committee voted unanimously that the benefits outweigh the risks for adults 50 to 64 and again for those 65 and older. The agency’s decision marks the first licensing of an mRNA flu shot in the United States.

The approval comes a year after the Department of Health and Human Services, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., halted 22 mRNA vaccine development projects worth about $500 million. Kennedy argued the platform failed to protect against upper‑respiratory infections and posed greater risks, a stance the author disputes.

The article urges Congress to restore federal funding for mRNA vaccine research to keep the United States competitive, noting that the new approval demonstrates the technology’s potential despite previous political setbacks.