A week after the FDA approved the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, the agency has granted the same approval for Moderna's vaccine. In clinical trials, Moderna's candidate was over 94 percent effective.
Today, FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the second vaccine for the prevention of #COVID19 caused by SARS-CoV-2. The emergency use authorization allows the vaccine to be distributed in the U.S for use in individuals 18 years and older. https://t.co/w4BQVg0n2G pic.twitter.com/cw5JwYqxsh
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) December 19, 2020
On Thursday night, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted 20-0 to recommend the vaccine be made available.
"The evidence that has been studied in great detail on this vaccine highly outweighs any of the issues we’ve seen," said Dr. Hayley Gans of Stanford University Medical Center.
HHS Secretary Alex Azar said Wednesday that the Trump administration has 5.9 million doses of the Moderna vaccine for immediate release.
The Pfizer vaccine has already been administered to health care workers around the country. Vice President Pence received the shot during a televised event on Friday, along with second lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams.
WATCH: The moment Vice President Pence, second lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams publicly receive their COVID-19 vaccine shots https://t.co/plzKpT9bWq pic.twitter.com/Mlo1dDX6Vo
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 18, 2020
"I didn't feel a thing," Pence said. "Well done."
Congressional leaders are expected to get the vaccine in the coming days.