Flu trumps Covid-19 as top health concern as sales of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccines are set to fall sharply

Australians are worried more about catching influenza this year than Covid-19 as the winter respiratory virus season hits its peak, according to US biotech giant Moderna.

Catching influenza has overtaken Covid-19 as the top health concern of Australians, according to a survey from US biotechnology titan Moderna.

A study commissioned by Moderna revealed that most Australians were avoiding Covid-19 booster shots and were ignorant that common medical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes and cancer, placed them at greater risk of catching the virus.

Only 17 per cent of middle-aged Australians have had a Covid-19 booster shot in the past six months, despite the virus killing more than 2000 so far this year, according to government data.

Moderna’s survey – which included 1000 Australians – comes as the number of Covid-19 vaccines it sells is set to fall dramatically this year, with the company estimating sales of at least $US5bn ($7.5bn) compared with $US18.4bn in 2022 as governments and health agencies cut orders.

It is now planning to distribute its vaccines through standard channels in the US, with reimbursement by commercial insurers. The company is considering charging $US110-130 a dose, versus $US15-$26 under current federal supply contracts.

Moderna is expecting to sell at least $US5bn worth of Covid-19 vaccines this year.

The Moderna survey revealed about 75 per cent of Australians believed people over the age of 60 should stay up to date with booster shots. But the uptake of Covid-19 boosters has plateaued across all age groups since the onset of winter last year, despite health officials recommending people have another shot six months after their last dose or Covid-19 infection.

Instead, influenza vaccination has taken greater precedence this winter, with many Australian companies offering free flu jabs to staff to strengthen their immunity. CSL’s vaccine division Seqirus has accelerated the release of its shots for the current strains of influenza, and is producing more than 8 million doses for the private market and government-funded national immunisation program.

The Moderna survey revealed that catching influenza was the “top health concern” among Australians this winter, despite the nation recording 57 flu-related deaths this year compared with 2,100 from Covid-19.

Immunisation Coalition chairman Rodney Pearce said the data was a reminder that Covid-19 was still circulating in the community despite the pandemic ending officially.

“Although Covid-19 seems like a distant memory for some, the virus is very much still a top health concern in our community. Covid-19 is a significant cause of death in Australia, and sadly we know that it is a major cause of hospitalisation and death this winter,” Dr Pearce said.

About 69 per cent of Australians were not aware that diabetes, cancer and obesity placed people at a greater risk of contracting Covid-19. This is despite two in three Australians being overweight or obese, and people with these conditions are 76 per cent more likely to go to hospital or die from Covid-19, according to a research from Cambridge and Edinburgh universities.

“It is concerning that so many Australians are unaware that they could have a greater risk of developing serious illness from Covid-19 due to their existing medical conditions,” said Dr Pearce, who is also a former head of the Australian Medical Association’s South Australia branch.

“Staying up to date with the recommended booster vaccinations, particularly for individuals with comorbidities, is critical to reducing the risk of severe illness, and I encourage them to speak to their healthcare professional”.

US President Joe Biden receives a second booster shot of a Covid-19 vaccine in March last year. Governments are now cutting back on orders.

Moderna’s Asia Pacific scientific leadership director, Chris Clarke, said: “As Australia moves through the winter season, it is vital that we remain well-informed and closely follow government guidelines as Covid-19 continues to evolve”.

Moderna is targeting a range of viruses and diseases, including cancer, with its mRNA vaccines – which instruct the body’s cells to produce a protein to create an immune response. Last August, it also entered a 10-year partnership with the Australian government to produce mRNA vaccines in Melbourne.

It is expecting to release a single-shot vaccine for Covid-19, influenza and potentially RSV by the middle of this decade.

But its influenza vaccine delivered mixed results in phase 3 clinical trials earlier this year. While its jab against A strains of the flu generated a strong immune response, it failed to show its shot for B strains was at least as effective as existing approved vaccines.

Further, 70 per cent of trial recipients reported adverse reactions – most of which were mild – versus 48 per cent dosed with a comparator vaccine. The differential is considered too great, according to market insiders. For example, CSL’s cell-based influenza vaccine delivered a less than 1 per cent difference in adverse reactions.

But Moderna’s chief medical officer Paul Burton told The Australian earlier this year that the development of an mRNA influenza vaccine was an iterative process and the company was able to modify the jab more quickly than conventional shots.

“What we’ve been able to do is tweak the sequencing, or antigen, and go straight back out into clinic, and that is a remarkable feature of the mRNA platform. It’s so agile and quick,” he said.

In February, Moderna said it had $US5bn in advance purchase agreements for its Covid-19 vaccines for 2023, with the potential for additional sales opportunities in the US, Europe, Japan and other markets.