WASHINGTON (AP) The head of the Food and Drug Administration said late Thursday that his agency will move to quickly authorize the second COVID-19 vaccine to fight the pandemic, hours after the shot won the key endorsement of a government advisory panel.
FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a statement that regulators have communicated their plans to drugmaker Moderna, which co-developed the vaccine with the National Institutes of Health. The announcement came after a panel of FDA advisers, in a 20-0 vote, ruled that the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks for those 18 years old and up.
Once FDA s emergency use authorization is granted, Moderna will begin shipping millions of doses, earmarked for health workers and nursing home residents, to boost the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history.
FDA advisers vote to recommend authorization of Moderna s coronavirus vaccine
kesq.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kesq.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
US FDA plans to give Moderna Emergency Use Authorisation
batonrougepost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from batonrougepost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Coronavirus updates: FDA authorizes Moderna vaccine; Democrats ask CDC to list educators as critical group; Pence gets vaccinated Jessica Flores, Ryan W. Miller and Joel Shannon, USA TODAY
COVID-19 relief package: Offers extra $300 in unemployment
Replay Video UP NEXT
USA TODAY is keeping track of the news surrounding COVID-19 as vaccines begin to roll out nationwide. Just this week, the U.S. marked the stark milestone of more than 17 million cases and 300,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates on vaccine distribution, including who is getting the shots and where, as well as other COVID-19 news from across the USA TODAY Network. Sign up for our
FILE - A man stands outside an entrance to a Moderna, Inc., building, Monday, May 18, 2020, in Cambridge, Mass. A second COVID-19 vaccine moved closer to joining the U.S. fight against the pandemic Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020 as government experts convened for a final public review of its safety and effectiveness. The shot from Moderna and the National Institutes of Health is urgently needed as the country continues to record ever-higher numbers of new cases, hospitalizations and deaths ahead of more holiday travel and family gatherings. FDA s OK is expected shortly after the all-day meeting concludes. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes, file) FILE - In this Monday, July 27, 2020 file photo, a nurse prepares a shot as a study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., gets underway in Binghamton, N.Y. On Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020, a panel of independent experts is meeting to discuss a vaccine made by Moderna. The pan