On December 18, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency permit for the use of the coronavirus vaccine developed by the American pharmaceutical company Moderna in the country, reports website of the regulator.
The use of the vaccine is permitted for persons aged 18 years and older. The FDA considered that the documents provided by the company confirm the effectiveness of the vaccine, and its known and potential benefits outweigh the known and potential risks.
"By providing access to two vaccines to prevent COVID-19, the FDA has taken another important step in the fight against a global pandemic that is causing a huge number of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States every day," said the regulator's chief Stephen Hahn.
The effectiveness of the vaccine, according to the data of the developer and the report of the FDA, exceeds 94%.
Earlier, a panel of FDA experts recommended allowing emergency use of Moderna's vaccine.
The vaccine consists of two doses. The second dose is administered 28 days after the first. At a temperature of -20°C, the vaccine can be stored for up to six months. It is expected that the Moderna vaccine will be delivered from production facilities in the northeastern United States to the distribution center in Irving, Texas, and from there to hospitals and pharmacies.
The first vaccine to receive emergency approval for use in the United States was developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. They have already begun to vaccinate people en masse in the country.
