Newsman: The Advisory panel of to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday voted to push forward with Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in people ages 18 and older. The vaccine, which was approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday, cannot be administered until it gets final approval from Redfield.
CDC Director Robert Redfield is now expected to accept the recommendation from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices this weekend. The FDA cleared Moderna’s vaccine Friday following a unanimous recommendation from an agency advisory panel Thursday. Officials announced earlier Saturday that distribution of the Moderna vaccine would begin this weekend.
Moderna’s vaccine was developed with significant federal funding. The Trump administration has invested $4.1 billion into the vaccine’s development and distribution, and the National Institutes of Health helped run clinical trials for the company.
The CDC panel’s age recommendation for the Moderna vaccine Saturday also marks a change from its guidance last week for the Pfizer-BioNTech treatment, which advised the inoculation for people ages 16 and older.
Moderna’s vaccine is anticipated to create fewer logistical challenges, as it does not require the same ultra-cold storage as Pfizer’s vaccine. It can remain stable for up to 30 days at the same temperature as a standard freezer.
“Distribution of Moderna vaccine has already begun,” Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, the administration’s effort to advance vaccine development and distribution, said during a briefing.
“Boxes are being packed and loaded today. Trucks will begin rolling out tomorrow, from FedEx and UPS, delivering vaccines and kits to the American people across the United States,” he added.
Moderna’s vaccine, like the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, is about 95 percent effective at preventing COVID-19 for the general population.
