The UK rollout of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine has begun today in Wales, following its approval back in January.
The government has ordered 17 million doses of the jab, an mRNA vaccine given in two doses between four and 12 weeks apart.
The first doses will be administered today at Carmarthen’s Glangwili Hospital, reports BBC News online.
Efficacy analysis of the Phase III COVE study, which involved 30,000 participants, indicates that the vaccine is 94% effective against COVID-19 and 100% effective against severe disease.
Also, no serious safety concerns have been identified to date, and a study just published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that Moderna’s vaccine offers protection against COVID-19 for at least six months.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said he is “delighted we can start the UK rollout of the Moderna vaccine in west Wales today”.
He went on to note that the government “has secured vaccines on behalf of the entire nation and the vaccination programme has shown our country working together at its best.
“Three out of every five people across the whole United Kingdom have received at least one dose, and today we start with the third approved vaccine. Wherever you live, when you get the call, get the jab.”