[ad_1]
New milestone reached in the fight against the pandemic: the FDA, the US pharmaceutical agency, has approved the Moderna vaccine, following the green light from Pfizer. As a result, the green light will reach other countries in the world, including that of the European agency EMA, which will have to endorse the authorization at the January 6 meeting. Next Monday the same EMA should give Pfizer the green light. Meanwhile, Switzerland preceded it by authorizing the Pfizer vaccine and announcing that the vaccination campaign will begin in the next few days, with a free, no-obligation offer. And as the whole world begins to breathe a sigh of relief in the hope that the launch of vaccination campaigns may finally reverse the course of the pandemic, the news of the English change is worrying. The WHO is thinking about the data but “at the moment there is no evidence that this variant of the Covid virus affects the effectiveness of vaccines. In any case, we need more research to understand it, ”commented Giuseppe Ippolito, scientific director of the Spallanzani Hospital for Infectious Diseases. The two pharmaceutical industries have been driving production engines for weeks. “We remain focused on improving production to help protect as many people as possible from this terrible disease,” said Stéphane Bancel, Moderna’s CEO shortly after the FDA’s decision.
Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorization (EUA) for distribution will cover use in individuals 18 years of age or older. Handover to the US government will begin immediately, the company said in a statement. In the meantime, more data will continue to be collected and the company intends to apply for a Biologics License Application for a full license in the United States in 2021. “I am proud of what the Moderna team has accomplished in collaboration with our partners. We were able – added Bancel – to create and produce the Modern vaccine against COVID-19 in 11 months, from genome sequencing to authorization, advancing clinical development with a Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 study with 30,000 participants ” .
Meanwhile, China will begin administering Covid-19 vaccines to key groups in this winter-spring period, an official with the National Health Commission (NHC) in Beijing said today. In a two-stage vaccination campaign, vaccines will first be administered to priority groups, including those engaged in handling imported cold chain products and people working in areas such as port inspection and quarantine, aviation, public transport, market fresh produce, medicines, treatment and disease control, Cui Gang, an official with the NHC’s disease control department, said at a news conference. The vaccination program will also cover those who intend to work or study in countries and regions with medium or high risk of exposure to the virus, Cui added. This will help ease pressure on China to prevent and control imported Covid-19 cases and reduce the risks of domestic outbreaks of the epidemic, Cui said.
