A combined vaccine against influenza and Covid shows promising results

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Data issued by Moderna revealed that a dose of a “combined vaccine” against influenza and Covid elicited a stronger immune response than separate individual vaccines.

The US pharmaceutical company's Spikevax Covid vaccine is being used in the UK booster programme, alongside Pfizer/BioNTech's Comirnaty.

The latest version of Spikevax includes a dose of the flu vaccine, meaning people will only need one dose to give them full protection against both viruses.

The vaccine was tested in a trial that included 8,000 adults, divided into two age groups: 50-64 years and over 65 years.

Participants who received the new mRNA-1083 vaccine showed higher immune responses against 3 strains of influenza and Covid.

The results are consistent across all influenza strains tested (H1N1, H3N2, and B/Victoria) and the Sars-CoV-2 variant in both the 65 and older age group and the 50 to 64 age group.

Commenting on the results, Professor John Tregoning, a vaccine immunology expert at Imperial College London, said that more detailed data would need to be provided.

“Combined vaccines have the potential to reduce the burden of respiratory virus cases on health systems and pharmacies, as well as provide people with more convenient vaccination options that can provide stronger protection against seasonal diseases,” said Stephane Bancel, CEO of Moderna.

Bancel added that he hopes the vaccine will become widely available in 2026, or perhaps in 2025.