FDA approves Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine after initial pushback

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new seasonal flu vaccine from Moderna that uses mRNA technology, the drugmaker announced Wednesday.Called mFLUSIVA, it is approved for adults ages 50 and older. It's the first influenza vaccine using mRNA technology to receive FDA approval.The approval "reflects the ongoing potential of our mRNA platform to help address important public health challenges through continued scientific innovation," Moderna said in a statement. "We are grateful to the clinical trial participants, investigators, regulators and Moderna teams whose contributions made this milestone possible."The FDA is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the approval comes despite repeated criticism of mRNA technology by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Last year, Kennedy canceled 22 vaccine development projects that use mRNA technology.CBS News medical correspondent Dr.