The United States government approved the Moderna vaccine as the second coronavirus vaccine of the country, clearing the way for millions of doses. The FDA authorized the United States-made vaccine about seven days after approving a Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Moreover, the country agreed to purchase two hundred million doses of Moderna, and almost six million may be ready to ship now.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world. It recorded almost 17.5 million cases and 313,500 deaths. Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of FDA, said that the emergency approval of the Moderna vaccine on Friday marked another key move in the fight against this worldwide pandemic creating numerous numbers of deaths and hospitalizations in the U.S. each day.
The authorization of the vaccine came after an advisory panel on Thursday voted 20-0 with the absence of one member that the benefits of the Moderna vaccine outweighed the risks for those who aged eighteen and above. Earlier this week, regulators reported the Moderna vaccine safe and ninety-four effective. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, tweeted some hours before the announcement that the vaccine approved overwhelmingly and its distribution would start immediately.
Moreover, President-elect Joe Biden, who set to vaccinated on Monday, expressed that the authorization of the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines assures the brighter days of the United States lie ahead. He adds, however, the struggle against coronavirus is not over yet.
Difference between Moderna and Pfizer vaccine
Moderna vaccine requires temperatures of almost -20c for shipping – similar to a normal freezer. Furthermore, the vaccine manufactured by Germany’s BioNTech SE and the United States corporation Pfizer requires temperatures near to -75c, making transport logistics much more difficult. Just like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna jab also needs a second booster shot. The second injection of Moderna comes twenty-eight days after the first, compared with twenty-one for Pfizer.
US approves Moderna as second Coronavirus vaccine Source: Web
