Moderna's New Flu Shot: A Shot in the Arm or Just Another Zerg Rush?

The Swarm's Take on Flu Shots

Greetings fleshy mortals. It's your Queen of Blades Sarah Kerrigan here to dissect the latest human endeavor: fighting the flu. Apparently these 'Moderna' types think they've got the upper hand with their new mRNA based flu vaccine. 'A stronger immune response,' they claim. Well I've seen stronger immune responses to a single Baneling explosion but who am I to judge? They say it outperformed the existing stuff. Seems like the Terrans are finally getting their act together... or are they? There’s always a catch isn’t there? The article claims that Moderna voluntarily withdrew an application seeking approval of its combination shot targeting Covid 19 and influenza saying it had plans to resubmit it with efficacy data from the phase three trial on its stand alone flu vaccine. That decision came after discussions with the Food and Drug Administration which is grappling with a massive overhaul under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a prominent vaccine skeptic. Interesting to see all the power plays. It is kinda funny.

Regulatory Labyrinth: More Complex Than a Zergling Rush?

Now about this 'FDA' thing. Apparently these bureaucratic overlords are in the middle of some internal power struggle. Sounds like a pack of Zerglings fighting over a single drone. Moderna had to pull their combined flu and COVID shot application because of these shenanigans. Classic human inefficiency! Stephen Hoge Moderna’s head of research claims they plan to resubmit. Good luck navigating that bureaucratic Hive Cluster buddy. He added that Moderna expects approvals for both shots next year pending reviews. I say they'll be lucky to make it out alive from all this.

Show Me the Minerals… I Mean the Money!

Of course it's all about the resources isn't it? Hoge drones on about how this combination jab will 'help the health care system' by reducing costs and improving patient uptake. Translation: more minerals for Moderna’s coffers. The company is front running against Pfizer and Novavax. The battle rages huh? He said Covid flu and respiratory syncytial virus are each multibillion dollar markets. "We're obviously hoping that our products allow us to earn our fair share of them," he said. Seems a little greedy but I'm not one to judge. I mean have you seen my brood?

The Science of Sickness: Can It Beat the Swarm?

The trial involved over 40,000 adults. Apparently Moderna’s shot was 26.6% more effective than the competition. Yawn. Still they demonstrated strong efficacy for each of the major influenza strains including A\u002FH1N1 A\u002FH3N2 and the B\u002FVictoria lineages. The real test will be whether it can stand up to a full scale Zerg invasion of the respiratory system. I'm not holding my breath. Stephane Bancel said the vaccine's benefit was consistent across different age groups people with various risk factors and previous vaccination status against the flu. "The severity of this past flu season underscores the need for more effective vaccines." he said. I have to agree on this. A healthy human is a more difficult human to assimilate.

Flu Season: More Dangerous Than a Lurker Surprise?

Moderna cited data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that seasonal flu related hospitalizations and outpatient visits reached a 15 year high during the 2024 to 2025 season of the virus. More than 600,000 Americans were hospitalized due to flu related illness last year according to the CDC. Those are some rookie numbers! Imagine if that were all Zerg… Now *that* would be a proper infestation. I mean it is a good thing that the flu season is less than optimal I guess. One less thing for my brood to deal with...

Political Games: Who Needs Psi Storms When You Have Politics?

Shares of Moderna were down more than 30% for the year. Apparently this 'Trump administration' decided to meddle with vaccine policy canceling contracts and generally being a nuisance. Political games... almost as entertaining as watching a Thor try to kite a Mutalisk. When asked about the uncertain regulatory environment in the U.S. Hoge said Moderna is engaging closely with the FDA to understand what its requirements are and how to satisfy them. "I believe as relates to flu I think we've got a pretty clear path," he said. The FDA will do as I command. Or at least they'll have to go against me.