DOH welcomes WHO approval of Moderna vaccine

The Department of Health (DOH) expressed its approval regarding the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision to include the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in its emergency use list.

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stated that this inclusion is beneficial as it will increase the vaccine supply available through the COVAX facility for participating nations.

The WHO announced the addition of Moderna to its emergency use list on May 1, making it the fifth vaccine to receive this designation.

This listing process aims to expedite access to vaccines for countries that lack the capacity to evaluate vaccine efficacy independently.

It also facilitates the distribution of vaccines to less affluent countries through mechanisms like the COVAX vaccine-sharing scheme.

Prior to Moderna, the WHO had already listed the Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Serum Institute of India, and Janssen vaccines for emergency use.

Moderna has also submitted an application for an emergency use authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine in the Philippines.