MODERNA’S Covid vaccine was the third to be added to the UK’s arsenal in fighting the virus.
The jab is 94 per cent effective against the killer virus and has been given to millions of Brits.
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The government said it has secured 350 million doses of Covid vaccines from various pharmaceutical giants.
Trials on more than 30,000 people found that only five given the Moderna jab developed Covid – none with severe symptoms.
The UK has secured 40 million doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine – enough for a third of the population.
Moderna’s jab is easier to distribute than Pfizer’s, which has to be stored at -70C, as it has been shown to last up to 30 days in household fridges.
So far in the UK over 31.6 million Brits have received a first dose of either the Oxford/AstraZeneca or the Pfizer/BioNTech jab with over 5.4 million having had a second.
The Moderna jab will bolster the UK’s vaccine efforts – but how effective is it?
How effective is the jab?
Moderna’s jab was trialled on more than 30,000 people.
It was also trialled on those most at risk of severe illness from Covid, including the elderly and ethnic minority groups – offering a boost that the vulnerable will be protected from the deadly bug.
Analysis from the Phase 3 study of the jab revealed that the vaccine can prevent Covid-19, including severe disease.
It stated that the jab was 94 per cent effective.
Dr Michael Head, a senior research fellow in Global Health at the University of Southampton, said when the Moderna jab arrives in the UK it will “help to ease any bottlenecks or delays in the administration programme”.
He added: “The early administrations in other countries such as the USA have been successful with no significant issues raised in terms of safety.”
Dr June Raine, MHRA chief executive, said: “Having a third Covid-19 vaccine approved for supply following a robust and thorough assessment of all the available data is an important goal to have achieved and I am proud that the agency has helped to make this a reality.
“The progress we are now making for vaccines on the regulatory front, whilst not cutting any corners, is helping in our global fight against this disease and ultimately helping to save lives.”
She added that once in use, all Covid-19 vaccines are continually monitored by the regulator.
“This ensures that the benefits in protecting people against Covid-19 continue to far outweigh any potential side-effects,” she said.
In August 2021 Japan halted the use of 1.63 million doses, after reports of contamination.
Takeda, which is in charge of sales and distribution of the Moderna shot in Japan, said it had “received reports from several vaccination centres that foreign substances have been found inside unopened vials.”
The firm said it had informed Moderna and “requested an urgent investigation.”
“To date, no safety or efficacy issues have been identified,” Moderna said, adding that it would work with regulators and Takeda to investigate the matter further.
