Novavax Inc. (NASDAQ: NVAX) shares are experiencing an uptick in trading activity on Friday following a rise in Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ: MRNA) stock. Moderna has announced its initiation of early-stage research on vaccines aimed at combating hantaviruses. Despite recent cruise ship deaths being associated with a virus, health experts believe it poses minimal risk to public health at large. The COVID-19 vaccine developer has been collaborating with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases on hantavirus vaccine development. Moderna emphasized that these efforts are in the preliminary stages and ongoing, illustrating the company's commitment to creating defenses against emerging infectious diseases. Pfizer and BioNTech have also halted their COVID shot trial due to a decline in enrollment figures. For the complete news story, visit Benzinga.com.