Moderna announced Thursday that it had begun developing a possible vaccine that combines a COVID-19 dose and a seasonal influenza shot. “Today we are announcing the first step in our novel respiratory vaccine program with the development of a single-dose vaccine that combines a booster against COVID-19 and a booster against flu,” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a news release. A timeline for the research, development, and release of the combined vaccine was not provided by the firm. Despite the lack of details, the company’s stock price jumped by more than 7 percent when it made the announcement. Bancel said during a presentation Thursday that it is a “large opportunity” for Moderna to “bring to market a high efficacy pan-respiratory annual booster.” He added, “We believe Moderna could be first to market in this important new opportunity.” Earlier this month, Moderna petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to …