Moderna flags work on hantavirus vaccines before cruise outbreak

Moderna Inc. said it’s researching vaccines to protect against hantaviruses, even as public health experts downplay the risk the deadly pathogen aboard a cruise ship could become a significant threat.

Cambridge-based Moderna has done early-stage vaccine research on hantaviruses with the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, the company said in a statement. It’s also working with the Vaccine Innovation Center at Korea University College of Medicine on a potential immunization. The research began before the recent outbreak on the Dutch-flagged Hondius.

“These efforts are early-stage and ongoing and reflect Moderna’s broader responsibility to develop countermeasures against emerging infectious diseases,” the company said.