Moderna Stock Soars After First US Bird-Flu Death

Key Takeaways

Moderna (
MRNA
) shares jumped more than 10% to lead S&P 500 gainers Tuesday, a day after the first bird-flu death was reported in the U.S. The
biotech company
is
developing a vaccine
for H5N1.

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that it was “saddened by Louisiana’s report that a person previously hospitalized with severe avian influenza A (H5N1) illness [had] passed away.” The agency added that it was “not unexpected because of the known potential for infection with these viruses to cause severe illness and death.”

Moderna Shares Down Sharply Over Past Year

As of Monday, there had “been 66 confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the United States since 2024 and 67 since 2022,” the CDC added.

Moderna shares were up 12% at $47.50 in early-afternoon trading Tuesday. Despite the gain, the stock has lost more than half of its value over the past year and is well
off its all-time high
of nearly $500 in August 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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