Moderna announced that they will be filing for emergency FDA approval for their COVID-19 vaccine today. Moderna is the second company to do so, after Pfizer, increasing the chances of COVID-19 vaccine distribution beginning before the end of 2020. Here’s what you need to know about the Moderna vaccine and the timeline to vaccine distribution.
When Could a Vaccine Be Approved?
Moderna has a hearing with the FDA on December 17th. That’s a week after Pfizer’s FDA hearing, which is scheduled for December 10th. The FDA is expected to make a decision on emergency use authorization (fast-tracked approval), for both vaccines shortly after their hearings. That means both Moderna and Pfizer could have FDA-approved vaccines by the third week of December.
Could Vaccines Be Manufactured Before the End of the Year?
Moderna has stated that they have the capacity to manufacture 20 million doses of their vaccine by the end of December. Moderna’s vaccine requires two shots, meaning that they would have enough doses for 10 million people.
General Gustave Perna, who is heading up the U.S’ “Operation Warp Speed” vaccine process, said he expects vaccines to be distributed within 24 hours of FDA authorization.
Are the Two Vaccines Safe?
Moderna and Pfizer are likely to be the first two vaccines approved for use in the U.S., although others are in development. Both have gone through extensive clinical trials and have been found to be over 94% effective. Neither have safety issues associated with them, although they both had minor side effects reported like soreness near the site of the shot, body aches and low fevers.
Conclusion: Some U.S. Residents Could be Vaccinated By the End of the Year
With Moderna and Pfizer both on their way to FDA approval, chances are high that vaccine doses will be available for some U.S. residents before the end of 2020. However, both companies will need several months to manufacture enough doses for significant portions of the population, meaning the U.S. is unlikely to reach herd immunity before mid-late 2021. In the meantime, you can follow along with the latest in COVID-19 news on the Skip blog.
