US FDA Advisory Panel Recommends Moderna Vaccine Use: "Benefits Outweigh Risks"

CDC Advisory Committee Recommendation Required for Vaccination - CDC Director's Acceptance Signature Needed
Follow-up Procedures Expected to Complete Within Days... Likely to Be Second Vaccine After Pfizer

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), an advisory body of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recommended the emergency use authorization of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on the 17th (local time).

According to Bloomberg News and others, VRBPAC reviewed the emergency use authorization application for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine and voted with 20 in favor, 0 against, and 1 abstention, recommending the FDA to approve its use. VRBPAC judged that vaccination with Moderna's vaccine for adults aged 18 and older has benefits that outweigh the risks.

The FDA is expected to approve the emergency use authorization soon based on VRBPAC's recommendation. Once approved by the FDA, vaccine distribution will be possible, but actual vaccination requires the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory committee and the acceptance signature of the CDC director. Considering the time taken for Pfizer vaccine approval and vaccination, the follow-up procedures after Moderna's approval are expected to be completed within 2 to 3 days.

If Moderna receives approval, it will become the second COVID-19 vaccine available for use in the U.S., following Pfizer. Like Pfizer's previously approved vaccine, Moderna's vaccine uses messenger RNA (mRNA). While traditional vaccines use weakened viruses or viral proteins to elicit an immune response, these two companies' vaccines use mRNA containing the virus's genetic information.

Dr. James Hildreth, a member of the FDA advisory committee, said, "It is an astonishing achievement to have two types of vaccines by December after identifying the genetic sequence in January." However, Dr. Michael Kurilla from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who abstained from the vote, expressed the opinion that approval for use in adults aged 18 and older is too broad and suggested limiting vaccination to high-risk groups for COVID-19, according to foreign media reports.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.