Jan 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. government has awarded Moderna MRNA.O $590 million to advance the late-stage development of its mRNA bird flu vaccine, as the country doubles down on efforts to tackle increasing infections in humans.

The award, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, would be used to accelerate the development of mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccines, a company spokesperson said on Friday.

The award was made through the Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle (RRPV) Consortium with funding from the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)

((Mariam.ESunny@thomsonreuters.com;))