Moderna Covid vaccine ‘approved’, says Trump

The US President’s announcement came even as the country awaited the vaccine’s approval by the FDA

WASHINGTON/LONDON: US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that approval has been granted to Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for use, clearing the way for the distribution of a second inoculation against the deadly coronavirus disease within days of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine’s approval.

Moderna’s two-dose vaccine is similar to the Pfizer-BioNTech one; both have been developed using the mRNA technology. But it is said that Moderna’s vaccine is more convenient to store as it can be kept in refrigerators commonly available at health care facilities. In contrast, the PfizerBioNTech vaccine vials need much colder temperatures for storage.

“Moderna vaccine overwhelmingly approved,” Trump announced in a tweet. “Distribution

to start immediately.” He added that “vaccines are on their way” to Europe and other countries hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Trump’s announcement came even as the world awaited the Moderna vaccine’s formal authorisation by the US Food and Drug Agency (FDA), according to news reports.

According to a Bloomberg report, FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said the agency was working quickly towards authorising the vaccine, which a panel of outside advisers had backed on Thursday in a 20-0 vote.

Meanwhile, US vice-president Mike Pence took a Pfizer vaccination shot on camera, seeking to demonstrate its safety to Americans who are sceptical of vaccines. President-elect Joe Biden and former presidents Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama have said they intend to take their shots publicly, to reassure people distrustful of vaccines.

The United States is witnessing a sharp increase in new Covid-19 cases, with more than 233,000 infections and 3,270 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, according to the Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus tracker.

China, meanwhile, has kickstarted an effort to inoculate 50 million people against Covid-19 ahead of the Lunar New Year on February 12, using locally developed shots moving closer to getting regulatory approval.

The roll-out comes as the country’s regulator is expected to sign off on shots made by state-owned China National Biotec Group and Sinovac Biotech for general use.

‘Lockdown in England possible after Christmas’

A third lockdown in England cannot be ruled out after the Christmas period due to the continuing rise in new cases, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday, as Wales and Northern Ireland announced post-Christmas lockdowns to curb Covid-19 transmission.

Asked during a visit to Greater Manchester if he would rule out another lockdown in England after Christmas, Johnson said, “We’re hoping very much that we will be able to avoid anything like that. But the reality is that the rates of infection have increased very much in the last few weeks.”

With inputs from agencies

AFP An ambulance is on the move under lighting put up for Christmas celebrations, during a night-time Covid-19 curfew in Tbilisi, Georgia.