Moderna’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine is 94.5% effective in preventing infections based on interim data from a late-stage trial, the company said.
Moderna’s vaccine, created with the National Institutes of Health, is being studied in 30,000 volunteers.
Pfizer’s vaccine is also more than 90% effective, and pending more safety data and regulatory review.
With Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines, the United States could have two vaccines authorised for emergency use in December with as many as 60 million doses of vaccine available this year.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has welcomed updates from developers scrambling to deliver a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the UN health agency WHO, more than 150 coronavirus vaccines are presently in development, with around 44 candidates in clinical trials and 11 undergoing late-stage testing.
WHO chief also voiced concern about surging cases and warned against complacency.
More than 54.44 million people have been reported infected by the coronavirus globally and 1,318,042 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
Cases have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China last December.
