The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended next Friday that Moderna’s new combination vaccine, mCombriax, be approved for adults aged 50 and older who are at risk of both influenza and COVID‑19. This endorsement means the European Commission will likely soon grant market access for the mRNA‑based product within the EU, the “Spiegel” reports, potentially allowing a single shot to protect against both illnesses.
Moderna chief Stéphane Bancel told a news magazine that the company expects EU approval in the coming months. If the process proceeds smoothly, the vaccine could be offered to selected groups in Germany as early as the 2026/27 flu season, which begins this autumn, with a broad rollout planned for 2027/28.
mCombriax would be the first vaccine to shield people simultaneously from flu and COVID‑19, two diseases that mainly affect the respiratory tract. According to the EMA, influenza alone can infect up to 50 million people each year in Europe, and while healthy younger patients often experience mild disease, older adults and those with pre‑existing conditions are at higher risk for severe illness and hospitalization. Thousands of people die annually from these infections, and co‑infection can lead to a “severe course of disease” the agency notes. Modena’s research has shown that the vaccine stimulates the production of sufficient antibodies against both viruses.
Moderna plans to offer the combination vaccine against three different influenza strains and one SARS‑CoV‑2 strain. Bancel added that, just as with existing flu and COVID‑19 vaccines, the composition of mCombriax will be regularly updated to match the strains circulating in the population.
Combination vaccines have long been used for diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella, reducing the number of doctor visits and easing vaccine‑related stress for patients. Unlike many conventional vaccines, mRNA vaccines are not produced in chicken eggs; they can be manufactured more quickly and adapted faster to emerging pathogens. mRNA vaccines contain the blueprint for specific viral components, triggering an immune response that targets those elements.