science
FDA Panel Backs Moderna mRNA Flu Vaccine for Adults 50 and Older, but Final Licensing Decision Remains Pending
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously on June 18, 2026, that benefits of the vaccine outweigh risks for adults ages 50–64 and 65 and older. The final FDA licensing decision has not yet been made.
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An FDA advisory panel voted unanimously on June 18, 2026, that the benefits of Moderna’s seasonal mRNA flu vaccine outweigh the risks for adults ages 50–64 and adults 65 and older. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, known as VRBPAC, reached the decision during a meeting held the same day.
FDA staff presentations at the meeting indicated the agency views the vaccine as having cleared sufficient hurdles for traditional licensure for adults 50–64 and accelerated licensure for adults 65 and older.
The final FDA licensing decision on the vaccine has not yet been made. Earlier in 2026, a top FDA official briefly refused to consider accepting Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine for review. The vaccine under review is a seasonal mRNA flu vaccine developed by Moderna.
During the meeting’s public comment period, Wellington Sun, a former FDA employee who later worked at Moderna but is no longer with the company, stated that multiple flu vaccines currently on the market were first licensed using an accelerated pathway. The article reporting the vote was published June 18, 2026, by Helen Branswell, Infectious Diseases Correspondent at STAT.
