US regulator ready to clear Moderna coronavirus vaccine

The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says he’s hopeful that the agency’s outside advisers will clear a second coronavirus vaccine for emergency use later this week.

But FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn says he won’t “prejudge” the outcome of Thursday’s meeting.

That’s when FDA advisers will review the agency’s independent assessment of data supplied by Moderna about its coronavirus vaccine.

Hahn tells CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that it is his “sincere hope” that his agency can move forward “expeditiously” on the Moderna vaccine.

The same FDA panel last Thursday endorsed the first coronavirus vaccine, made by Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech. The FDA approved that vaccine for emergency use on Friday.

Pfizer began shipping out its vaccine on Sunday.