On Monday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval to a second COVID-19 vaccine. Many County residents already know this vaccine as the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine but now that it has full approval the vaccine will be marketed as Spikevax for everyone 18 years and older.
Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine initially became available under emergency use authorization back on Dec. 18, 2020.
Since then, more than half a million Moderna vaccines have been received in San Bernardino County. The FDA’s first full approval of a COVID-19 vaccine came in August with Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine.
“The FDA’s approval of Spikevax is a significant step in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the second vaccine approved to prevent COVID-19. The public can be assured that Spikevax meets the FDA’s high standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality required of any vaccine approved for use in the United States,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “While hundreds of millions of doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to individuals under emergency use authorization, we understand that for some individuals, FDA approval of this vaccine may instill additional confidence in making the decision to get vaccinated.”
So far, more than 65 percent of San Bernardino County residents ages 5 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. For those who are still unvaccinated or need another dose or booster, please visit myturn.ca.gov or vaccines.gov for a vaccine near you.
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