Scientists Are Racing to Develop a New Bird Flu Vaccine

As bird flu continues to ramp up, experts are watching closely for signs that the virus has developed the right mutations that allow it to more easily infect human cells. Several vaccines for bird flu are already in development, including one at Penn Medicine, using the mRNA platform developed by Drew Weissman, MD, PhD, the Roberts Family Professor of Vaccine Research. Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology, who is leading the development of the vaccine at Penn, explains why the mRNA platform is ideal for this type of virus, and why it’s important to invest in vaccines now, before the virus becomes a pandemic.