Gov. Jay Inslee said that an independent group OK'd the use of the Moderna COVID-19 in Washington. | Adobe Stock
Gov. Jay Inslee said that an independent group OK'd the use of the Moderna COVID-19 in Washington. | Adobe Stock
Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup authorized the distribution of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in Washington.
"I'm pleased that the Western States Workgroup gave their unanimous recommendation to the Moderna vaccine today and encourages immediate use of the vaccine in our states," Gov. Jay Inslee said in a news release. "Having two vaccines to combat COVID-19 will help us begin to recover from this destructive pandemic."
The FDA and CDC had already granted initial authorization for the vaccine last year. The Western States Workgroup has been meeting to review the data regarding the Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
"We still need to be extremely vigilant in taking care of each other until the vaccine is widely available, which will still be several months from now," Inslee said in the news release. "We must continue masking, physical distancing and not gathering with friends and family. Our disease activity remains high, and we must work together to keep each other safe."
The workgroup members are independent and have studied the vaccine's safety and efficacy, the news release said.
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