In a somewhat surprise announcement, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first US influenza vaccine built on Moderna's mRNA technology that gave us one of the most administered COVID-19 shots during the pandemic. What people may not know is that this is not the world's first mRNA flu jab; in April, Moderna was given the green light in Europe for its combined COVID-19 and influenza vaccine, mCombriax. It demonstrated it was 26.6% more effective, compared with current influenza vaccines, and had earlier met all safety thresholds. Despite influenza being a major killer worldwide, vaccine technology hasn't changed a great deal. As we've covered many times, mRNA vaccine technology is well suited to be quickly adapted for emerging flu strains, potentially putting us in a proactive rather than reactive position each season.