Moderna Covid-19 vaccine cleared for use in US

Registered nurse Natalie Chermel, left, and pharmacist Whitney Rader draw a dose of Covid-19 vaccine into a syringe at Franciscan Health in Michigan City, Indiana (John Luke/The Times via AP)

The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine has been given authorisation for use in the US by the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The move marks the world’s first clearance for Moderna’s shots, and the vaccine is very similar to one from Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech jab which is already being rolled out.