>> There's a new tool in the fight against influenza as the U.S.

nears another flu season.

Believe it or not.

Last week, the FDA approved an mrna based flu vaccine for adults 50 years and older marking the first time the same technology used in COVID-19 vaccines has been approved to prevent the seasonal illness.

The vaccine could be available within weeks, but it also arrives amid renewed debate over the technology and federal fundings role in researching it.

Joining us to discuss the new vaccine is Dr.

Richard Novak, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Welcome back.

Doctor Novak, thanks for joining us.

Thank How significant is this approval from the FDA?

>> it's that strikes significant because vaccine very promising and looks like it's more immunogenic and more effective at preventing infections.

and it's also.

more easily changed if cars are says that are circulating are different and this vaccine can more rapidly be change the newer viruses that are circulating, right?

Because the typical flu vaccine for the season is is based on what we know about last season's Usually they make the decision about what's in the vaccines and >> late winter early spring this year's March they make the decisions they make the vaccines.

And so something changes with the virus.

Between are any time after the actions are than they really can't do anything about it.

And the that happened last night, this past season of the season before.

They the vaccines are made and then a new strain of Taipei of influenza, a center circulation.

and there's not much they can do about give the same vaccine.

And it was much efficacious.

>> A lot of us remember, you know, the science lesson that we got during the pandemic about mrna vaccines how they work.

Remind us what exactly is an mrna vaccine.

>> name it's code for protein.

The usually they select approaching antigen component of the virus that they want to buy and make it an immune response to so instead of giving a protein, they give code our code as an injection enter cells.

cells are and started by this code to synthesize a protein.

The next president, the surface of the south, which is how I mean system for and substance or point antigen.

We call that so.

It just turned out to be a very effective way to administer vaccine.

And tends generate much more potent immune responses and straight protein.

Vaccine.

>> So the new mrna flu vaccines and how different is it from, you know, the other flu vaccines that we've been getting do we think because of this that it will have the chance it will be more effective?

>> Well, they've they've done trials are ready.

And so we do know actual of that.

It is somewhat more effective than the existing vaccines.

compare several comparative trials actually with this vaccine against what we're currently using and vaccines for about.

25% more immunogenic.

And the existing vaccines and they also resulted in when they did clinical trials to prevent flu, they show reduction in hospitalizations about half of what we see and people are receiving standard vaccines.

And so it looks very promising.

>> And do we think this will be available for this flu season?

>> That should it's now on the market.

Took a while for that.

to come around to approving it.

But now it's approved.

So manufacture the vaccine.

as I said before, generally much quicker than with flu vaccine.

So it should be able to have a supply ready.

>> And approval for now is just for adults 50 and over.

Why start with that age group?

>> Well, it's because they they did that the clinical trial and talking about time in people over the age of 50 people over the age of 50, Eric greatest risk of having complications of the flu.

And up in the hospital or even dying of the flu.

And so it's probably the right population.

Are they groups that target with with a vaccine these vaccines like all vaccines have side effects that actually bit more common in young people turns out polling not much more efficacious and young people with the standard vaccines.

But in the age group, they tested the 50 and over.

definitely advantage.

>> It is their likelihood than that in the future.

I mean, is it likely that those of us under 50 for now, anyway, we'll will eventually be able to access the mrna vaccine is that approval being sought down road.

But is I mean, they they need to do actual what the plan to collect.

I'm going data.

>> And people receiving the vaccine, make sure it's safe and efficacious unreal.

And the real world and real world population.

and they will do other clinical trials.

Make sure that it's useful younger populations.

>> And approval comes after what we know, the reduced federal support for Mrna vaccine research.

How might that lack of support effect research?

That's, you know, in the works or in the future.

>> This vaccine is as moderna vaccine Moderna actually is funding the research.

sounds so they're not relying on federal dollars to to their studies part of the federal government to approve it.

Of course.

And which that happened that he approved the vaccine.

but for smaller start-up companies, it's a bigger problem because they don't have the resources to.

Conduct clinical trials.

They do rely on the federal government.

To do those studies.

And so and the the government their support them will not.

She smaller companies come forward and they may have.

all ideas on and new vaccines.

>> So our companies but universities as well didn't did any of them received him?

Earn a research funding.

>> I maybe I don't know.

I know that funding has been cut back significantly.