FDA Advisers OK Second Coronavirus Vaccine

WASHINGTON, DC — A government panel on Thursday voted to advance a new coronavirus vaccine developed by drugmaker Moderna, paving the way for the vaccine to receive emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

After seven hours of debate over technical details of the company’s study and follow-up plans, The Associated Press reported, nearly all panelists backed the vaccine. Only one panel member abstained.

In the 20-0 vote, FDA advisers agreed the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks for those 18 years old and up.

Officials are expected to follow the panel's recommendation to approve the vaccine for emergency use.

Once the company receives the green light from the FDA, Moderna is expected to ship millions of doses, most of which are earmarked for health workers and nursing home residents.

The Moderna vaccine is the second vaccination to join the campaign to eradicate the coronavirus. Last week, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization for another vaccine developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech.

Earlier this week, the FDA released a preliminary analysis confirming the Moderna shot’s effectiveness and safety.

Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines showed similar 94 percent efficacy in safety trials.

Read more via The Associated Press