WASHINGTON – A second coronavirus vaccine is nearing emergency approval in the US after it was endorsed by a panel of experts.
The head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said his agency would move quickly to authorize the Moderna vaccine, allowing the company to begin shipping millions of doses.
It comes days after the US began its largest ever immunization campaign with the rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.
The advisory panel on Thursday voted 20-0 with one abstention that the benefits of the Moderna vaccine outweigh the risks for those aged 18 and over.
Following the panel’s endorsement, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said his agency had informed Moderna that it would work “rapidly” towards issuing emergency use authorization.
Regulators reported earlier this week that the Moderna vaccine was safe and 94 percent effective. (BBC)
