DENVER (KDVR) — The State’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force said Colorado will receive almost 100,000 doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine if the FDA approves it for emergency use.
A panel met Thursday to discuss and vote on emergency use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. If approved, emergency use would be granted for people over 18 years old. U.S. officials plan to distribute 6 million doses of the vaccine. It has a 94 percent efficacy rate.
Scott Bookman, the COVID-19 Incident Commander with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said the Moderna vaccine will be a much simpler vaccine to distribute than the Pfizer vaccine. The Moderna vaccine does not need to be stored in ultra-cold freezers, enabling vaccines to be shipped directly to hospitals and healthcare facilities.
While the Moderna is simplier, Bookman said Colorado will continue to use both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine based on shipments from the federal government.