Updated | European Commission authorises Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for roll-out

Malta has 100,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine ordered for use

Last updated on 6 January 2021, 4:47pm
by Nicole Meilak

1 min read

The European Commission has granted a conditional marketing authorisation for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, with 160 million doses to be distributed throughut the EU between the first and third quarters of 2021.

This will be the second COVID-19 vaccine recommended for authorisation.

Malta already has an order of 100,000 vaccines from Moderna. In a press conference today, Health Minister Chris Fearne said that Malta is looking to have 16,000 people vaccinated by end of January, with all frontliners, care home residents and staff, and vulnerable people having received the vaccine by end of May.

We are providing safe & effective #COVID19 vaccines for Europeans.

We have authorised the @moderna_tx vaccine, the 2nd vaccine approved in the EU.

Europe has secured so far 2 billion doses of potential vaccines - more than enough for protecting us all #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/Ujg4C997fK
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 6, 2021

The vaccine will be administered to all persons aged 18 years and above.

Earlier today the European Medicines Authority recommended the approval of the vaccine to the Commission following a meeting by the authority's human medicines committee.

The vaccine demonstrated a 94.1% efficacy during clinical trials, including 90/9% efficacy among participants at risk of severe COVID-19, including those with chronic lung disease, heart disease, obesity, and others.

Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna jab will be given in two doses, 28 days apart.

Nicole Meilak is deputy online editor and IĠM press awards (Most Promising Journalist) wi...