WHO’s mRNA bird flu vaccine initiative for poorer countries

GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced an initiative to expedite the development of vaccines for human infections caused by bird flu in poorer countries, using cutting-edge messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.
The WHO revealed that Argentinian manufacturer Sinergium Biotech will spearhead this effort, having already begun developing candidate H5N1 vaccines. 
Since its emergence in 1996, the H5N1 bird flu virus has seen exponential growth in outbreaks among birds since 2020, alongside a rising number of infections in mammals, including cattle in the US and a few human cases, raising concerns about a potential future pandemic.
Sinergium aims to establish proof-of-concept for its candidate vaccines through preclinical models. Once these data are available, the technology, materials, and expertise will be shared with a network of manufacturers in poorer countries to facilitate their vaccine development and production.
This project will be executed through the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme, established by the WHO in partnership with the UN-backed Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) in 2021 amid the Covid-19 crisis. 
The programme supports low- and middle-income countries in developing and producing their own mRNA vaccines, addressing the significant inequities exposed during the pandemic.
mRNA technology instructs the body to produce a specific protein that triggers an immune response, protecting against infections. While the rapid development of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines was a breakthrough during the pandemic, it also highlighted global vaccine inequities and the need for fairer distribution of technology.
“This initiative exemplifies why WHO established the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The programme, which includes 15 manufacturing partners in countries such as South Africa, Ukraine, and Vietnam, aims to "foster greater research, development, and production in low- and middle-income countries," ensuring a more effective and equitable response to future pandemics.
Avian influenza viruses are considered potential candidates for triggering a pandemic. The WHO has noted that existing traditional influenza vaccines could be adapted for H5N1 if it begins spreading among humans. 
However, Martin Friede, head of the WHO’s vaccine research unit, emphasized the value of mRNA-based vaccines for building sustainable production capacity.
Previous attempts to enhance influenza vaccine production in developing countries often failed as pandemic threats subsided and governments ceased purchasing doses. 
Friede told reporters that the advantage of mRNA is that it helps produce not only Covid and H5N1 vaccines but also many other vaccines and therapeutics, adding that if the demand for H5N1 vaccines or other vaccines wanes, production facilities could pivot to other uses, maintaining operational viability.
Friede added that half of the programme’s manufacturing partners have already begun installing the necessary equipment for mRNA vaccine production, enabling them to respond more rapidly in future emergencies.