The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations agreed to fund Moderna’s mRNA‑1018 H5 avian influenza vaccine with up to $54.3 million to support a Phase 3 study after U.S. government funding for the program was curtailed. CEPI’s grant includes access commitments intended to reserve dose capacity for low‑ and middle‑income countries in a pandemic scenario. Moderna previously received BARDA and HHS contracts that were later canceled; CEPI’s intervention restores a path to pivotal testing and maintains an mRNA option for pandemic preparedness. The move comes amid renewed concern about avian influenza spillover into humans and the speed advantages of mRNA manufacturing. For global vaccine preparedness, CEPI’s funding is a strategic reallocation that preserves platform diversity and capacity commitments. Biotech and public health planners will track Phase 3 design, manufacturing scale commitments, and equitable distribution clauses.