Shares of vaccine developers, including Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA ) and CureVac, have seen an uptick in premarket trading on Monday as the seasonal flu activity intensifies across the United States. Moderna's stock increased up to 3.4%, while CureVac's shares jumped as much as 13%.
Other vaccine manufacturers also experienced a rise in their stock prices. Shares of Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX ) went up by 3.1%, and BioNTech (NASDAQ: BNTX ) saw a 1.4% increase.
The Arkansas Department of Health's most recent weekly report has indicated a significant rise in flu activity in the state. The report, which ended on Dec. 28, 2024, shows that flu activity has reached the "Very High" level of 11 on a 13-point scale. This is a noteworthy increase from the previous two weeks, which were classified as "High." At the beginning of the month, the flu activity was reported as "Low."
This is the first time a "Very High" ranking has been assigned since the flu season began on Sept. 30. The rise in flu activity is likely contributing to the increased interest in vaccine developer stocks.