Health authorities in the Spanish region of Catalonia informed the World Health Organization on Friday of their suspicion of the transmission of a mutant swine influenza virus between humans, in a development that raised concern among experts despite the risk being assessed as “very low.” In a parallel development, the European Medicines Agency recommended on Friday the approval of the first combination vaccine that protects those aged 50 years and over from Covid and seasonal influenza together, paving the way for its availability in European Union markets starting in the 2026-2027 season.

Published on: 02/27/2026 - 23:18

A spokesman for the health authorities in the Spanish region of Catalonia said on Friday that the country had informed the World Health Organization of its suspected transmission of the A(H1N1) swine flu virus among humans.

In a later statement, the Catalan Ministry of Health said it considered the assessment of the potential risks to the population to be "very low." She added that the infected person did not exhibit respiratory symptoms similar to influenza symptoms, and that tests conducted on those who were in direct contact with him showed that the virus was not transmitted to them.

A previous report by El Pais newspaper, citing sources in the Catalan Ministry of Health, said that the patient, who has since recovered, had no contact with pigs or pig farms, leading experts to conclude that the infection was transmitted from one human to another. The newspaper report added that this matter raised the alarm because of the possibility of the spread of an epidemic of the swine influenza virus if it meets with the human influenza virus, which may happen if a pig is infected with the two viruses at the same time.

The World Health Organization has not yet responded to a request from Reuters for comment.

The European Medicines Agency recommends a combination vaccine for Covid and influenza

The European Medicines Agency on Friday recommended approval of a mRNA vaccine produced by Moderna, paving the way for it to become the first combination vaccine to protect people aged 50 and over from both Covid and seasonal influenza.

People currently need two separate doses to protect them from Covid-19 and influenza, and vaccines are updated periodically to match the circulating strains of the virus. The company hopes to receive a boost from international markets towards revenue growth this year, at a time when the appointment of anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as US Secretary of Health has hampered growth in the domestic market.

Moderna said that its combination vaccine (MCombriax) may be available in some European Union markets for the 2026-2027 season. The company expects the vaccine to be more widely available across the region in 2027, when the market reopens with the expiration of current vaccine contracts in the European Union.

The European Medicines Agency based its recommendation issued on Friday on data from a study that included eight thousand participants, which showed that those who received MCombriax were able to produce more antibodies than those who received the two vaccines separately. The European Commission will review the agency's recommendation and decide on it before allowing the new vaccine to be marketed in European Union countries. It is not yet clear how long it will take to make this decision.

France 24/Reuters

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