Extreme proponents of MAHA consider vaccination of populations as deleterious. In addition in their universe, mRNA technology is condemned despite the obvious benefits and proven effectiveness in suppressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent publication in the New England Journal of Medicine* confirmed the effectiveness of an mRNA influenza vaccine prepared by industry leader Pfizer in a Phase 2a trial. The mRNA vaccine was totally effective in suppressing fever and symptoms of influenza in participants challenged with H1N1 virus. Recipients of the seasonal quadrivalent egg-propagated vaccine showed 85 percent protection.
In a separate trial, a Moderna-prepared mRNA vaccine completely suppressed symptoms of influenza compared to 4.2 percent of the participants receiving the quadrivalent vaccine and 26.9 percent of nonvaccinated controls.
The Pfizer mRNA vaccine was not associated with undesirable side effects. Some reactogenicity occured with the Moderna vaccine including pain at the site of injection and transitory malaise.
Despite the condemnation of mRNA vaccines by uninformed public health Luddites citing spurious and unsubstantiated research and cherry-picked anecdotal reports, mRNA vaccines are safe and effective. Their greatest virtue is that they can be manufactured in large volume rapidly, and inexpensively and can be tweaked to respond to changes in viral exposure.
It is noted that the strains in the quadrivalent egg-propagated seasonal influenza vaccine are selected six months in advance of availability and deployment, precluding a rapid response to an emerging strain. Generally, world populations have been previously exposed to H1 and H3 influenza viruses and can mount an anamnestic response. The emergence of a zoonotic H5 virus currently circulating in commercial and migratory waterfowl reservoirs represents a challenge to public health authorities. A suitable mRNA vaccine could be rapidly manufactured and deployed to raise population immunity and suppress an epidemic or in a worst-case scenario, a pandemic.
Regrettably unfounded ideology and proven science cannot coexist to the ultimate detriment of our health and economy.
*Lindert, K. Human challenge trial of a nucleoside-modified messenger ribonucleic acid influenza vaccine. NEJM Evid. 2025; 4(12). doi:10.1056/EVIDoa2500087.