United States, on the 17th December, an advisory committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted to approve the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Moderna coronavirus vaccine.
It is reported that the Moderna coronavirus vaccine is very similar to the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine previously approved by the FDA. The vaccine is expected to be the second coronavirus vaccine approved by U.S. regulators.
According to the report, the FDA’s Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biological Products unanimously approved the emergency use authorization of Moderna coronavirus vaccine by a 20-0 vote. The Committee recommends vaccination for people aged 18 and above.
The FDA Advisory Committee is said to have played a key role in approving the flu and other vaccines in the U.S. to ensure that vaccines can be safely used by the public. After voting in favor last week, the FDA approved the emergency use authorization of Pfizer the next day, and then began to carry out vaccinations across the United States.
However, more data need to be reviewed to obtain full approval. Moderna has only submitted follow-up security data for two months. It usually takes six months for the FDA to fully approve it.
Modner’s vaccine uses mRNA, which is messenger RNA technology, like Pfizer. Late clinical trial data show that the vaccine is more than 94% effective in preventing COVID-19, can resist the risk of serious diseases, and is safe. To maximize the efficacy, the vaccine needs to be inoculated twice, four weeks apart.
FDA staff publicly supported Moderna vaccine on the 15th, and said in the document that the clinical trial results and safety data “conform to the recommendations of the FDA’s guidelines for authorization for the emergency use of the novel coronavirus vaccine”.
