Should we fear a potential bird flu vaccine?

An anti-vaxxer’s tweet claims a new bird flu vaccine uses self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) technology, which allegedly copies itself without an off switch. It describes the vaccine as risky gain-of-function technology, suggests it’s part of a plan for a future pandemic, and raises alarm over its development.

The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) helps the U.S. prepare for potential health emergencies. It provided funding for this H5N1 vaccine because developing tools to fight future pandemics is part of its mission. Using taxpayer money for this kind of research is normal and helps protect public health. This is not a conspiracy, even though BARDA does sound kind of ominous.

Studying H5N1 bird flu right now is important because this virus has the potential to cause a serious global outbreak, or pandemic, in the future.

H5N1 is a type of bird flu that mainly infects birds, but in rare cases, it has spread to humans. When it does, it can be very dangerous, with over half of the people infected since 2003 dying from it. This makes it one of the deadliest flu viruses known. Fortunately, it does not spread easily from person to person yet.

The concern is that viruses like H5N1 can change over time. These mutations could allow the virus to spread more easily between humans, leading to a pandemic. Since we cannot predict when or how this might happen, preparing now by studying the virus is a smart and proactive step.

Like mRNA, saRNA vaccines give your cells short-term instructions to make a harmless spike protein. This helps your immune system learn to fight the virus. The RNA in the vaccine is broken down by your body within days or weeks. It doesn’t become part of your DNA or stay in your body permanently.

While saRNA does copy itself, it doesn’t do so endlessly. Its replication stops the same way virus replication stops. It triggers an immune response that clears it. Once the RNA is gone, your cells stop making the spike protein. The immune system remembers the spike proteins to protect you in the future, but it doesn’t keep them around or keep manufacturing them.

Some people worry that developing vaccines ahead of time is part of a conspiracy, but if we learned anything about avian flu from Parks and Recreation, it is that these studies and exercises are important for keeping all of us safe. They aren’t planning a fake pandemic to hurt us. They are trying to predict what the pandemic threats are to be ready for them and possibly prevent them.