The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday announced that it granted emergency use listing for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The agency’s Emergency Use Listing Procedure (EUL) is a risk-based procedure for assessing and listing unlicensed vaccines, therapeutics and in vitro diagnostics with the ultimate aim of expediting the availability of these products to countries affected by a public health emergency.
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In a statement, WHO said its Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) had found the Moderna jabs to have an efficacy of 94.1 percent against COVID-19.
WHO noted that its SAGE committee recommended the vaccine for all age groups 18 and above.
The listing of Moderna doses to UN health agency’s EUL will allow the vaccine sharing facility COVAX and other organizations to distribute the vaccines to developing countries.
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WHO earlier listed vaccines developed by Pfizer, AstraZeneca. Serum Institute of India and J&J’s Jannsen vaccines for emergency use.
Moderna earlier announced that it will manufacture 3 billion doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in 2022.
The Philippines ordered 20 million doses of Moderna vaccine. (RA)
