Top officials at the European Union (EU) Commission have given the go-ahead, authorizing for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine mRNA-1273 to be placed for immediate distribution.
About 80 million doses of the vaccine were ordered, as the EU eyes the purchasing of more doses in the coming weeks to months, according to reports.
Totaling 160 million doses, the new authorization, only applying to people age 18 and over, aims at reducing the high infection rates of the novel coronavirus, health officials have stated.
The move to approve Moderna’s vaccine came after the authorization of a vaccine developed by BioNTech-Pfizer, a creation dubbed as a strongly effective option, with an efficacy rate above 90 percent.
But as the new Moderna vaccine enters distribution, EU authorities have stressed they will closely monitor data on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, also stating: “Our work will always be guided by the scientific evidence and our commitment to safeguard the health of EU citizens.”
Moderna is an American-based biotechnology company founded in 2010.
