The Moderna COVID-29 vaccine was given a green signal after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) staff members did not have any concerns over the data made public on Tuesday, 15 December, making it a viable option for emergency authorisation.
Reuters reported that the vaccine “was effective without any specific safety issues in adults over the age of 18” in the documents that will be presented on Thursday’s meeting. The meeting will be held between experts who will decide if the vaccine is ready to be rolled out.
If given authorisation, the Moderna shot will be the second vaccine to be granted permission for emergency use in the United States.
Pfizer-BioNTech COVID Vaccine
On 11 December, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine for emergency use in the country.
US President Donald Trump on Monday, 14 December, had announced “First Vaccine Administered.”
A nurse in New York, Sandra Lindsay, was the first person in the United States to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on Monday, reported AFP.
The US is the country worst-affected by COVID-19, both in terms of the number of recorded infections as well as deaths. More than 16.2 million cases have been reported in the country, with the death toll standing close to 3,00,000.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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