By Peter Loftus
Shares of vaccine makers including Moderna, Novavax and CureVac rose Tuesday after U.S. health officials confirmed the first American death caused by the H5N1 bird flu.
Moderna and Novavax shares rose more than 10%, while CureVac increased 5%.
The companies are developing experimental vaccines against pandemic influenza, including the avian H5N1 strain that has infected more than 60 people in the U.S. in the past year, mostly from animal-to-human exposures.
Moderna's efforts are part of a $176 million federal contract it received last year.
The death in Louisiana could spur more federal funding for the vaccines' development, or purchase orders if the vaccines succeed in testing and are authorized by regulators. A vaccine could be given to at-risk people such as farm workers, hunters or bird hobbyists.
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January 07, 2025 13:40 ET (18:40 GMT)
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