Dangerous new clade of bird flu is mutating to infect more animals throughout Europe so a UK government-backed trial is developing a new mRNA vaccine against it
British scientists are preparing a modifiable mRNA vaccine for the next pandemic (Image: Getty Images)
UK scientists warn bird flu is mutating as they trial a new mRNA vaccine to protect the country against a potential pandemic.
The government-backed trial will test the vaccine on 3,000 Brits and 1,000 Americans as avian flu, known as H5N1, develops the ability to infect more mammals. Scientists told a media briefing in central London they are analysing a dangerous clade, called 2.3.4.4b, which has spread through animals in Europe amid fears it could “jump” to humans.
The trial of the new jab, developed by Moderna, will look at whether it develops a strong immune response and poultry farmers will be encouraged to enroll to protect themselves.
Poultry test samples collected from a farm located in a control area where bird flu has been detected(Image: Getty Images)
READ MORE: Covid inquiry finds UK led world on vaccines – but minority were harmedREAD MORE: Covid cicada variant: Symptoms of BA.3.2 lineage ‘set to become dominant’ in UK
Experts fear Bird flu has pandemic potential and want to develop an mRNA vaccine against it as this technology can be more rapidly mass produced.
Dr Richard Pebody, director of emerging infections at the UK Health Security Agency, said: “We clearly don’t know when the next pandemic is going to be… but what we do know is that the flu pandemic is the most likely future pandemic. It’s really critical that we ensure we’re properly prepared.
“Four of the past five respiratory pandemics over the past century since 1918 have been due to flu… because flu is a virus that is constantly evolving and mutating and it circulates widely in various animal species.”
Clade 2.3.4.4b bird flu viruses have driven the biggest outbreak among animals ever seen in Europe. This is mainly in birds but also cattle. There have been 116 confirmed human cases globally since 2024, almost all linked to close contact with infected animals such as among poultry and dairy farmers.
Why mRNA vaccines?
The vaccine technology works because mRNA forms part of every human cell and is the way our DNA makes specific proteins.
In vaccines, mRNA delivers the “instructions” for replicating proteins identical to those found in a particular virus. It is hoped that our immune system will then recognise the virus as a foreign body and produce antibodies that will attack the protein if they encounter it.
These vaccines are different from traditional jabs which trigger a protective immune response by including a weakened or deactivated version of the virus. These vaccines require complex culture systems which take longer to mass produce.
On the other hand, mRNA vaccines can have their “instructions” quickly updated to tailor them to a new virus strain and still be quickly mass produced.
New clade has driven biggest bird flu outbreak among animals ever seen in Europe(Image: Getty Images)
Pharmaceutical firm Moderna pioneered mRNA vaccines during the covid-19 pandemic and has agreed to a strategic partnership with the UK government.
The new phase 3 trial is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). If successful and avian flu mutates to better spread person-to-person, it will see the vaccine being mass produced at Moderna manufacturing sites in Britain.
Dr Pebody added: “Although the current risk to the human population of avian influenza remains low, the virus continues to evolve and spread in birds and various animal hosts in the UK and elsewhere. UKHSA remains alert to the potential that this pathogen could adapt to spread from person to person.
“This important initiative to trial a new mRNA pandemic influenza vaccine is a key step towards further strengthening our ability to protect people against future influenza pandemics.”
Currently there has been no evidence of sustained human-to-human spread of avian flu. The trial will administer the mRNA vaccine to 3,000 volunteers via 26 sites across England and Scotland. For more information visit the NIHR’s Be Part of Research service online.
Dr Zubir Ahmed – Health Innovation and Safety Minister
This trial is a powerful example of UK science and the NHS working at their best and it shows just how far we’ve come. Bird flu is a threat we continue to take seriously and this mRNA vaccine trial puts us ahead of the curve.
Just last week, we announced that average clinical trial set-up times have fallen from 169 days to 122 days and today’s news shows exactly what that progress means in practice. The first trial participant was enrolled in less than half the time of our 150-day target. That is not just a statistic; it is faster access to potentially life-saving vaccines for people across the country.
This is proactive, science‑led pandemic preparedness in action, building the capability now so we have the best possible chance of protecting people quickly if the virus does begin to spread between humans.