For the first time, an influenza vaccine built on mRNA technology — the same approach behind the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines — has been approved in the United States. It will be available for the coming flu season.

What was announced?

According to NPR, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first mRNA-based flu shot, made by the pharmaceutical company Moderna, and it will be ready for the upcoming flu season.

What is an mRNA vaccine, in plain language?

Think of mRNA as a recipe card. Instead of injecting a weakened or inactivated virus — the way traditional flu shots work — an mRNA vaccine delivers a short set of genetic instructions. Your own cells read those instructions and briefly produce a harmless piece of the virus’s surface. Your immune system studies that piece, learns to recognize it, and is then prepared if the real virus ever shows up. The instructions themselves break down quickly and do not change your DNA.

Why does the technology matter for flu specifically?

Flu is a moving target. The virus changes from year to year, so vaccine makers must predict months in advance which versions will circulate — and traditional production, which mostly relies on growing the virus in chicken eggs, is slow. One key promise of mRNA technology is speed: recipes can be updated much faster, which could mean vaccines that better match the flu actually going around in a given winter. Whether that promise fully holds will become clear as the new shot is used at scale.

What does it mean for you?

Practically: this autumn, some people getting a flu shot may be offered an mRNA version alongside the traditional ones. Traditional flu vaccines are not going away. As always, questions about which vaccine suits you personally belong with your doctor or local health service.

Source: NPR, August 6, 2026.