An independent panel of advisors for the Food and Drug Administration has approved unanimously the coronavirus vaccine developed by Moderna, completing the initial regulatory step that could lead to distribution, NBC News reports.
The Moderna vaccine, developed in conjunction with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was approved by the panel for use in adults 18 and over. Moderna received funding through the federal government’s Operation Warp Speed, making it the first product coming from that program.
This would be the second vaccine approved for distribution, if it receives, as expected, emergency use approval through the FDA. The Moderna vaccine is a two-dose treatment, given 28 days apart, and like its Pfizer counterpart, uses Messenger RNA, or mRNA, to promote the production of antibodies in the patient.
The Moderna vaccine was limited to people over 18, while the Pfizer was authorized for patients 16 and over. That two year gap was the reason two members of this panel voted against approving the Pfizer treatment, citing the lack of data for patients age 16-18.