The European regulatory agency on Wednesday could endorse the vaccination of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, which will pave the way for a second vaccine to be rolled out among member states, following a shot developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. The approval will ultimately be decided by the European Commission.
In a statement to Fox News, a spokesperson for the European Medicines Agency said the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) had discussed the Moderna vaccine on Monday, but the talks were not concluded and would resume on Wednesday. word.
LIVE UPDATES: Today’s Latest COVID-19 Headlines
“Meanwhile, our experts are working hard to resolve outstanding issues with the company,” the email said. “In the event that the CHMP reaches an opinion at tomorrow’s meeting, the EMA will send a press release to the meeting as soon as possible.”
The spokesman did not elaborate on the ‘outstanding issues’, but noted that the EMA is holding a public meeting on Friday to discuss COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine approval and implementation. At a briefing on Monday, European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer outlined the progress made on the vaccination front.
A European regulator could endorse the vaccine against Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday. (iStock)
FDA SAY HALF DOSAGE MODERN COVID-19 VACCINE ‘RISKS’ PUBLIC HEALTH, ‘HISTORY
“We have signed six contracts,” Mamer said. “We have one approval and hopefully very soon the approval of a second vaccine and further vaccines later.”
Fox News has asked Moderna to comment.
If the committee resolves its “outstanding issues” and follows the EMA with a recommendation for conditional marketing authorization, the blow – with a final nod from the European Commission – will join the recently approved Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine.
Vaccination began on December 27 among member states, although many criticized the slow process.
‘It is obvious that such a complex effort will always cause problems, that there will always be bumps in the road, but we are confident that we will be able to vaccinate Europeans with all the efforts we have. applied, to ensure as quickly as possible, ”Mamer said.
GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The news also follows reports about Germany and Denmark considering taking similar steps in the UK to delay second vaccinations by 12 weeks, as opposed to three, to extend the offer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday advised Americans to adhere to the authorized dosing and vaccination schedules: two 21-day doses for Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine and two 28-day doses for the Modern vaccine.
“At present, the proposal for changes to the FDA-authorized dosage or schedules of these vaccines is premature and is not firmly rooted in the available evidence,” the FDA’s joint statement said. “Without appropriate data supporting such changes in vaccine administration, we run a significant risk of endangering public health, undermining the historic vaccination efforts to protect the population against COVID-19.”
Fox News’ Alexandria Hein contributed to this report.