On Friday, December 18, American FDA has issued an emergency authorization to a COVID-19 vaccine from a company named Moderna. An evaluation of clinical trial data was made by FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee according to arstechina.

A clinical trial data has been submitted from observing over 30,000 people to get the Emergency Use Authorization. The vaccine is based on the same RNA technology used by Pfizer and BioNTech companies which has first submitted the vaccines to the FDA.

US government has committed to a larger purchase of the Moderna vaccine prior to the availability of the clinical trial data. And the US citizens are expected to start receiving doses of the Moderna vaccine on Monday. However, it will be many months until the vaccine is widely available. The first doses will be going to health care workers and those considered to be at the highest risk of severe COVID-19.