TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - American biotechnology company Moderna is claimed to have been preparing a vaccine for the Hantavirus since 2023. The development of the vaccine is being accused of proving that the Hantavirus outbreak was engineered for profit.
This claim has been circulating on Instagram [archive], Facebook, and TikTok since mid-May 2026. "Amidst increasing global attention to the hantavirus, M0d3rn4 has apparently been developing a vaccine for the hantavirus since 2023," wrote the content uploader.
However, is it true that Moderna has been developing a vaccine for the hantavirus since 2023?
FACT CHECK
Tempo verified the content by comparing it to credible information and interviewing epidemiology researchers. The results showed that the case of a passenger on the cruise ship MV Hondimus infected with the Hantavirus in 2026 was not the first infection.
The Hantavirus has been around since 1951-1953, during a dengue fever outbreak in South Korea. South Korean scientists initiated the development of a vaccine to treat the virus in 1990.
Hantavirus Vaccine Used in South Korea Since 1990
A report from Korea University, dated July 25, 2024, stated that the Hantavirus vaccine was developed by Professor Ho Wang Lee's team. Its use in East Asia, particularly South Korea, has been approved since 1990.
Lee, a virologist, isolated the Hantavirus from rats near the Hantan River in the early 1980s. This virus triggered an outbreak of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) during the Korean War (1951-1954), which infected at least 3,000 soldiers.
Vaccine development is being accelerated because South Korea records 300 to 400 cases of HFRS each year. This virus predominantly affects young soldiers aged 20-30 during military service and residents in vulnerable areas, with some cases resulting in death.
Airlangga University virologist, Dr. Arif Nur Muhammad Ansori, emphasized that the Hantavirus vaccine is not new. The vaccine, called Hantavax, is made from an inactivated virus and has been used commercially in endemic areas of East Asia since the 1990s.
"Long before the era of mRNA vaccines or the emergence of Moderna, the Hantavirus vaccine has been used for more than 30 years," Arif said in a written statement to Tempo on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
Korea University Collaboration with Moderna
Currently, Hantavirus strains continue to evolve, with 22 strains being pathogenic to humans. In addition to triggering HFRS, the Hantavirus causes Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), which has a higher mortality rate. HPS is predominant in the Americas, while HFRS is more prevalent in Asia and Europe.
This development has driven the need for a new vaccine that is effective against a wider range of strains. In September 2023, the Korea University Vaccine Innovation Center partnered with biotechnology company Moderna to develop an mRNA-based Hantavirus vaccine.
Airlangga University virologist, Dr. Arif Nur Muhammad Ansori, stated that Moderna has a large-scale research and development program based on mRNA technology as part of its global pandemic preparedness. "However, to date, Moderna does not have a commercial Hantavirus vaccine product approved for mass use," said Arif.
Meanwhile, Griffith University Australia epidemiologist, Dicky Budiman, explained that the WHO classifies Hantavirus as "disease X." Currently, only the Andes strain has been proven to be transmissible between humans, while the potential for transmission of other strains remains largely unknown.
However, Budiman believes that vaccine development is not yet a top priority, as controlling the rodent population remains the most effective measure to break the chain of virus transmission. "The vaccine can be administered to high-risk groups such as soldiers or cleaning staff," Dicky said when contacted by Tempo on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
CONCLUSION
Tempo concludes that the narrative claiming Moderna developed a Hantavirus vaccine in 2023 is misleading.
The vaccine had previously been developed by South Korean researchers. Meanwhile, the collaboration between Korea University and Moderna since 2023 has only aimed to develop a Hantavirus vaccine based on mRNA technology.
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