ORLANDO, Fla. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has accepted their Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' recommendation that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine can be given in the United States to adults 18 and over.
Workers on Sunday began packaging shipments of the second COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S.
What You Need To Know
- CDC Accepts Panel's Recommendation on Moderna Vaccine
- Moderna's vaccine is the second in the US; the US is the first country to authorize Moderna's vaccine
- CDC officials are meeting this weekend to discuss the emergency use authorization of the Moderna vaccine
- NEW: Covid-19 Vaccine Summary
Two dozen Advent Health locations in Florida are expected to get doses of Moderna’s vaccine.
The FDA has already granted emergency use authorization for Moderna’s vaccine. The approval by CDC director Robert Redfield was the last major hurdle for this second vaccine to move forward.
Distribution is already underway, with Moderna moving vaccine supply to their distributor.
On Sunday, UPS and FedEx trucks will roll out with that vaccine on board.
US General Gustave Perna took responsibility for miscommunication with states over Pfizer vaccines when those rolled out last week. He said the distribution process will be much smoother this time around.
“While this second vaccine from Moderna, added onto Pfizer, now allows us as a whole of America to be on the offense, we are a long way from being finished,” said Perna.
The CDC says so far, 272,000 have gotten the Pfizer vaccine so far, including frontline healthcare workers here in central Florida through Advent Health.
Governor Ron DeSantis says Florida is expected to receive 367,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine next week, pending that final approval from the CDC Director.