US ramps up vaccine drive as 2nd Covid shot nears approval

Hundreds more US

hospitals

geared up to vaccinate their workers on Tuesday as federal regulators issued a

positive review

of a second Covid-19 vaccine that’s likely to soon boost the

nation

’s

largest vaccination campaign

. The FDA said its preliminary analysis confirmed the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, bringing it to the cusp of US authorisation. A panel of outside experts is expected to vote to recommend the vaccine on Thursday, with a final FDA decision coming soon thereafter.


The positive news came as hospitals ramped up vaccinations with the shot developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, which the FDA cleared last week. The Moderna vaccine uses the same technology and showed similarly strong protection against Covid-19. Both consist of genetic material called mRNA encased in a bubble made from a mixture of fats. The two companies use different fats.


Packed in dry ice to stay at ultra-frozen temperatures, shipments of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine began arriving at 400 additional hospitals and other distribution sites, one day after the nation’s death toll surpassed a staggering 3,00,000. The first 3 million shots are being strictly rationed to frontline health workers and eldercare patients.

Pentagon

chief Christopher Miller was one of the first Americans to receive the vaccine on Monday, on camera to encourage the rest of the country to follow suit.

The US’ daily death count continues to top 2,400 amid over 210,000 new daily cases. The devastating toll is only expected to grow in coming weeks, fuelled by holiday travel, family gatherings and lax adherence to basic public health steps. That projection assumes swift authorisation of the Moderna vaccine, which also requires two shots for full protection. Sources said FDA is likely to grant it emergency authorisation for use on Friday.

In scrutinising early results of a 30,000-person study, the FDA found the Moderna vaccine is highly protective for adults and prevents severe Covid cases. The review by the FDA also confirmed Moderna’s assessment that its shot had an efficacy rate of 94.1% overall at preventing Covid-19 illness. Side effects, including fever, headache and fatigue, were unpleasant but not dangerous, the agency found. The FDA looked carefully for signs of allergic reactions and found no serious allergic reactions. About 1.5% of vaccine recipients and 1.1% who got dummy shots reported possible “hypersensitivity” reactions.