NEW YORK, May 9, 2026, 11:08 EDT
- Moderna is back in the outbreak space, confirming it’s working with U.S. Army researchers and Korea University on early-stage hantavirus vaccines. The COVID-19 vaccine maker disclosed the work as efforts intensify around emerging threats.
- After the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, which has seen eight cases—six confirmed—and claimed three lives, multiple countries have stepped in to respond.
- Moderna shares finished their last trade at $54.35, a gain of 11.9%. The stock earlier climbed as high as $57.77 during the session.
Moderna Inc. stock climbed after the company disclosed work on vaccines targeting hantaviruses, a rare set of rodent-borne viruses that have come under scrutiny following a fatal outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship.
Drugmaker Moderna, based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has already partnered with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases on early-stage research and is teaming up with the Vaccine Innovation Center at Korea University College of Medicine for a potential vaccine, according to a company statement cited by Bloomberg. Their work kicked off ahead of the recent outbreak involving the Dutch-flagged vessel.
Timing is a factor here. Investors want evidence that Moderna can expand its mRNA platform’s reach—beyond just COVID-19—to cover a wider range of vaccines and treatments. With mRNA, genetic code prompts cells to produce proteins, which either prime the immune system or target disease.
Public-health officials are working to keep market nerves in check. On Saturday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed Tenerife residents, stressing, “this is not another COVID,” and noted the public-health risk from hantavirus is still low despite three fatalities. World Health Organization
On May 9, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported eight cases linked to a cruise-ship cluster—six confirmed, two classified as probable. The culprit: Andes hantavirus, which stands out as the only hantavirus capable of spreading between people, typically requiring close, sustained contact. The agency assessed the risk for the general EU/EEA public as very low.
Spain is getting ready to receive the ship off Tenerife, according to the country’s interior minister. Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands will dispatch planes to pick up their nationals. The European Union is adding two more aircraft. The U.S. and UK are working out arrangements for non-EU passengers, Reuters said.
Moderna’s research into a hantavirus vaccine remains at an early stage. In 2024, Korea University announced its Vaccine Innovation Center teamed up with Moderna to pursue an mRNA-based hantavirus vaccine, tapping into Moderna’s mRNA Access Program, which backs preclinical efforts targeting neglected or emerging infectious diseases.
Moderna’s mRNA Access site describes a program letting researchers tap into its technology for work on priority pathogens highlighted by the WHO, CEPI, and the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. It’s set up as a public-health resource—there’s no immediate commercial product implied here.
That same week, the hantavirus grabbed headlines while Moderna’s mRNA-1010 flu shot notched a win with U.S. regulators. Data from a late-stage trial involving over 40,000 participants aged 50 and up showed the vaccine delivered 26.6% higher efficacy compared to GSK’s standard-dose flu shot, Reuters said. The FDA will weigh in by August 5.
The rally picks up steam. Moderna’s shot, if cleared, would mark the first mRNA-based seasonal flu vaccine in the U.S. But the FDA previously flagged the company’s application, citing its head-to-head data compared the shot to a standard-dose vaccine—not the high-dose version typically given to older adults.
Moderna’s still feeling the drag from the post-pandemic shakeout. For the first quarter, the company brought in $389 million in revenue, a jump from $108 million in the same period last year—though it ended up with a net loss of $1.34 billion. Cash, cash equivalents and investments totaled $7.5 billion as of March 31. The company is aiming for up to 10% revenue growth this year.
“Near-term, things appear to have stabilized and all eyes will shift to ex-COVID opportunity in oncology,” Bernstein analyst Courtney Breen told Reuters after the earnings report. On the same call, Moderna President Stephen Hoge said the company is focusing on building out a broader portfolio—flu, combination vaccines, norovirus, oncology, rare-disease assets all getting attention. Reuters
Still, investors could be pricing in an outbreak narrative without a product, trial roadmap, or even a defined market. Evercore ISI analysts flagged “no meaningful revenue opportunity” around the latest hantavirus buzz, citing both the disease’s rarity and just how early Moderna’s effort is. Barron’s
But the real spotlight is probably on something else. Moderna’s got its personalized cancer vaccine, intismeran autogene, in development alongside Merck’s Keytruda. Multiple Phase 2 and 3 trials are running, with some Phase 3 melanoma results not expected until 2026. The quick pivot to hantavirus demonstrates how fast their platform can catch investor notice; whether the flu and cancer lines can actually deliver lasting revenue is another story.
