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Moderna vaccine is 94% safe and effective, according to regulators, paving the way for US emergency clearance.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) analysis means it could become the second coronavirus vaccine to be cleared in the United States. It comes a day after Americans across the country started receiving injections of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The news comes as the coronavirus death toll in the United States surpasses 300,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. FDA scientists’ approval of the Moderna vaccine was announced on Tuesday; two days before the vaccine panel meeting to discuss emergency approval.
What were their conclusions?
The 54-page document stated that there were “no specific safety concerns” and that serious side effects were rare. If approved by the team of experts later this week, and by the FDA’s chief vaccine officer; shipments could begin within 24 hours.
The FDA found an efficacy rate of 94.1% in a trial of 30,000 people, according to the document they published.
Covid: When can I get vaccinated in the United States?
- What you need to know about vaccine safety
- The most common side effects included fever, headache, and muscle and joint pain.
Last week, the FDA released similar data from Pfizer before voting for approval.
Moderna was founded in 2010 and has so far never had an FDA approved product. The company’s shares have seen an increase of almost 700% so far this year.
How is it different from the Pfizer jab?
The Moderna vaccine requires temperatures of around -20 ° C for shipping – similar to a regular freezer. The Pfizer jab requires temperatures closer to -75 ° C, which makes transport logistics much more difficult.
- How will we keep the vaccine cold enough?
Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine also requires a second booster. Moderna’s second hit comes 28 days after the first.
The company is based in Cambridge, Mass; And said if approved, the “vast majority” of its vaccine would be made there. Pfizer’s drug is manufactured in several countries, including Germany and Belgium.
Approval of a second Covid vaccine in the United States would be a big deal.
The country is the most affected in the world according to the number of deaths recorded by the pandemic virus and is in urgent need of more ammunition to fight against the virus.
The United States has several million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine which was cleared for emergency use by regulators days ago.
Although mass vaccination has started with these, having access to the Moderna jab in the near future; in addition to more Pfizer stock, would mean that several million more people could be vaccinated in the coming months.
The Food and Drug Administration has yet to give the green light to the Moderna vaccine; but if it does, the United States may start receiving some of the 200 million doses it has pre-ordered. The first batch of 20m could be delivered at the end of December.
Quels autres pays ont commandé le vaccin Moderna?
Les États-Unis ont accepté d’acheter 200 millions de doses du vaccin; et 6 millions pourraient être prêts à être expédiés dès que le vaccin sera approuvé par la FDA.
Au Canada, le gouvernement prévoit de recevoir deux millions de doses de Moderna d’ici mars ; une partie d’un total de 56 millions de doses. Mardi, le premier ministre canadien Justin Trudeau a déclaré que 168 000 ; doses devraient être disponibles avant la fin du mois.
Le Royaume-Uni a déjà pré-commandé 7 millions de doses du Moderna jab.
Le mois dernier, l’Union européenne a annoncé un contrat d’achat de 80 millions de doses ; avec jusqu’à 80 millions de plus – une fois que le vaccin sera jugé sûr et efficace.
Le Japon a signé pour 50 millions de doses Moderna; la Corée du Sud pour 20 millions et la Suisse a commandé 7,5 millions; selon les données compilées par le Centre d’innovation en santé mondiale de l’Université Duke.
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