The U.S. biotechnology company Moderna announced its experimental Covid-19 vaccine with 94.5% effectiveness, as the media reported on 16 November 2020. This stage is designed to catch any adverse effects that didn’t surface or register as significant over the course of clinical trials. Given the accelerated timeline, long-term followup will be of particular importance for any Covid-19 vaccine authorized for human use under any authority, and a new commentary in Science Magazine shows why. Figure 1: A timeline of safety evaluation for vaccines, adjusted to reflect the current pace of ... [+] clinical trials and the necessary duration of post-licensure surveillance. Another disaster not only can be prevented, but must be, especially if hundreds of millions are lining up for a dose of the first Covid-19 vaccine to hit the shelves.

Source: Forbes November 20, 2020 15:45 UTC