Moderna seeks full nod for its Covid vax

Washington: US-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna has sought the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for full approval for its RNA Covid-19 vaccine for use in people 18 and older. The Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine was approved for emergency use in the US in December. So far, more than 124 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the country, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We are pleased to announce this important step in the U.S. regulatory process for a Biologics License Application (BLA) of our Covid-19 vaccine," said Stephane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna, in a statement on Tuesday. "We look forward to working with the FDA and will continue to submit data from our Phase 3 study and complete the rolling submission," Bancel added. Early last week, Moderna said that its Covid-19 vaccine was effective in children aged 12 to 17 years old. There were no cases of symptomatic Covid-19 among vaccine recipients, Moderna said, suggesting 100 per cent vaccine efficacy in adolescents, though overall very few among the 3,700 children in the study got sick.