Food and Drug Administration (FDA) He authorized the use of Modern’s covid-19 vaccine on Friday, giving the go-ahead to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Operation War Speed to distribute millions of doses.
“Today, the FDA issued an emergency authorization for the second vaccine to prevent covid-19 (…) This emergency authorization allows the distribution of the Moderna covid-19 vaccine in the United States to the elderly 18 years or older, “the FDA said in a statement.
The first doses manufactured by Moderna They will start to be administered from Monday. This is another hopeful moment, amid the worsening pandemic across the country and the death toll that has exceeded 300,000, with bleak forecasts for the coming winter months.
The emergency authorization of these vaccines by the FDA involves their application as the agency continues to evaluate the data to give final approval.
“The FDA has determined that Moderna’s covid-19 vaccine meets the criteria for an emergency release. All available information provides clear evidence that Moderna’s vaccine may be effective in preventing covid-19. The data also show that the known benefits and potentials outweigh known and potential risks, “the FDA added.
20 million doses by the end of the month
Having a second vaccine will speed up the massive vaccination operation in the country. According to the EFE agency, they will only be sent next week 6 million doses of Modern a 3,285 points nationwide, as part of the “Warp Speed” operation, launched by the White House to facilitate faster distribution.
Unlike Pfizer, Moderna was able to access $ 2.5 billion in federal funds to buy new materials, expand its facilities and increase its workforce by 50%.
Total, The government agreed to 200 million doses with Moderna, which will be delivered progressively. As two doses are needed, this figure would serve to immunize 100 million people in the country. To a first batch of 100 million doses, the government added a similar amount last week.
The announcement came after he questioned the Donald Trump administration’s decision last summer to reject an offer from Pfizer to buy more doses of vaccine. This has raised doubts about whether the United States will have the number of doses needed to immunize its population.
“It simply came to our notice then 100 million doses purchased by the US government, about 20 million doses These will be delivered by the end of December 2020, and the rest will be delivered in the first quarter of 2021, “Moderna said in a statement last Friday.
The remaining 100 million – those purchased last week – will arrive in the second quarter of 2021, the company added.
Effective in preventing serious cases
One of the differences between Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is its ability to prevent severe cases of covid-19, according to data released Tuesday by the FDA, which confirms that this pharmaceutical company has enough information to show that its product is particularly effective in severe cases.
According to their study, 30 volunteers developed severe symptoms, but they all belonged to the placebo group and not to the vaccine itself.
In the case of Pfizer, the FDA did not find such conclusive evidence because 10 of the people who received placebo had severe symptoms and one of the vaccinated people also developed the same condition. The FDA considered that this statistical sample was not significant because it was too small and therefore no definitive conclusions could be drawn.
However, the two vaccines have several similarities: both should be given in two doses and Moderna’s has an efficiency of 94.1%, while that of Pfizer, 95%.
Both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech injections are used mRNA vaccines. They are not made with the coronavirus itself, which means that there is no chance that someone can get it from injections. Instead, the vaccine contains a piece of genetic code that trains the immune system to recognize the protein enriched on the surface of the virus.
However, the Modern vaccine is easier to handle because it does not have to be kept in the freezer minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 70 Celsius).
Widespread acceptance of the vaccine is essential for the adequate protection of the population of the United States to defeat the pandemic. But only half of Americans say they want to get vaccinated, while about a quarter do not want to, and the rest are insecure, according to a recent poll. Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Health Research.
