EU Approves Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine... Number of Commercial Vaccines Increases to Two (Comprehensive)

EU Commission "160 Million Additional Vaccine Doses to Be Available"
Expecting Increase in Stagnant Vaccination Rates

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The European Union (EU) has given final approval to Moderna's novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, making it the second commercially available vaccine after Pfizer's. The EU and national health authorities expect vaccination rates, which have been sluggish so far, to increase significantly.

According to foreign media including the AP News on the 6th (local time), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) stated in a press release, "The Moderna vaccine has proven effective in preventing COVID-19 in large-scale clinical trials," and "recommends conditional approval for use in individuals aged 18 and over." The EU Commission immediately announced official approval. The EU Commission stated in a release, "Based on EMA's thorough evaluation of safety, efficacy, and quality, we officially approve the use of the Moderna vaccine following a positive scientific recommendation."

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, emphasized during a press briefing that "With this approval, Europe will receive an additional 160 million doses of the vaccine," and "Europe has potentially secured up to 2 billion doses, ensuring safe and effective vaccines sufficient to protect all Europeans." The EU Commission announced that deliveries of the Moderna vaccine to the 27 member states will begin next week, with vaccinations starting immediately after delivery in each country. Jens Spahn, Germany's Federal Minister of Health, also stated, as reported by AP News, "Distribution of the Moderna vaccine to EU member states will begin next week."

With this, the EU joins the UK and the US in having two commercially available vaccines, raising expectations for a significant increase in vaccination rates. The EU approved the COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by the US Pfizer and German BioNTech on the 21st of last month and began vaccinations in the 27 member states a week later. However, criticism has continued as vaccinations have been sluggish due to initial vaccine production shortages and inadequate distribution infrastructure in various countries.

The Moderna vaccine has so far been approved in three countries: the US, Canada, and Israel, with the EU being the fourth. Compared to the Pfizer vaccine, which requires ultra-cold storage and transport below minus 70 degrees Celsius, the Moderna vaccine's transportation conditions are less demanding, making it expected to be more widely distributed. The Moderna vaccine is known to require storage and transport at around minus 20 degrees Celsius, which is achievable with standard freezers.

Meanwhile, the EU is reported to have pre-contracted with several vaccine developers, with the total pre-ordered vaccine doses reaching 2 billion. This amount is enough for the entire population of the 27 EU member states, approximately 450 million people, to receive more than four doses each.

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