GENEVA: Moderna said ‌on Thursday it has secured a European Commission contract to supply its respiratory syncytial virus vaccine to six countries in the region.

The agreement gives the participating countries — Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway and Portugal — ‌access to ‌up to 24 million doses ‌of ⁠the vaccine over ⁠as many as four years, the company said.

The vaccine, mRESVIA, will be supplied in a ready-to-use, single-dose pre-filled syringe, making administration easier ⁠for health care professionals, Moderna said.

‌The company ‌had a similar joint procurement ‌framework agreement with the European Commission ‌for COVID-19 vaccines last year.

mRESVIA is authorized in the European Union to prevent lower respiratory tract ‌disease caused by RSV in adults.

RSV is ⁠a ⁠common respiratory virus that causes seasonal infections such as the flu and is a leading cause of pneumonia and death in infants and older adults.

Moderna has four approved mRNA vaccines for respiratory infections, including a combined influenza and COVID-19 vaccine authorized in Europe.