A second coronavirus vaccine is now coming to hospitals after the federal government granted emergency use authorization late Friday.
The Food and Drug Administration gave Moderna permission to distribute its version of the COVID-19 vaccine a week after doing likewise with medications developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. This sets the stage for weekend delivery and Monday arrival at state sites. A timeline for arrival at hospitals, including Newman Regional Health, is pending.
Kansas says it expects around 49,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine early next week. Local distribution numbers are not being released at this time
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require two doses to be effective, although the Moderna version doesn’t need the same ultra-cold storage temperatures required by the Pfizer drug. Both list effectivity rates above 94 percent.
