Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine on Track to Receive FDA Emergency Use

A second promising coronavirus vaccine is on track to receive FDA emergency use authorization. This news comes just days after the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was granted approval and rolled out nationwide to the first round of critical healthcare workers. An initial safety analysis determined the Modera vaccine was 94% effective with no serious side effects. Similar to Pfizer’s vaccine, this one also requires a booster shot, but it does not need to be stored at extremely cold temperatures which could make distribution much easier. A special panel is set to meet tomorrow to discuss granting official authorization. If given the green light, it’s reported 6 million doses could be shipped within 24 hours. The timing of a second vaccine is particularly crucial as the surge of cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to soar from coast to coast. In California, they’ve just activated a “mass fatality” program. They’ve ordered an additional 5,000 body bags and sixty refrigerated storage units to act as morgue overflow in preparation for the worst.