Moderna said Sept. 17 that it will begin developing a seasonal flu vaccine.
"We are increasing our investment in vaccines, and we will develop a seasonal flu vaccine, given the unmet need for highly effective vaccines," CEO Stephane Bancel said in a news release.
The drugmaker said vaccines typically reduce the risk of getting the flu by 40 percent to 60 percent and that high-risk groups would benefit from a flu shot with higher efficacy.
Between 9 million and 45 million people in the U.S. have died of the flu annually since 2010, according to the CDC.
Read the full news release here.