A major new clinical trial for an mRNA bird flu vaccine is set to begin in Britain in the coming weeks, it was announced on Wednesday. The trial will recruit 3,000 participants from across the country to assess how effectively the jab protects against the virus which scientists fear could trigger the next pandemic. The study is being led by Moderna in partnership with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the government body responsible for managing threats to public health in Britain. Originating in birds, the H5N1 virus has spread rapidly through animal populations in recent years, decimating millions of farmed birds worldwide and infecting a range of mammals, including dairy cattle, cats, bears and foxes. Since 2024, at least 114 human cases have been recorded, all linked to close contact with infected animals. The new vaccine uses messenger RNA technology – the same platform that enabled the rapid development of several Covid-19 vaccines .…