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Moderna Inc.
MRNA 2.68%.
The company announced Tuesday that it will make its new Covid-19 vaccine available to its employees, contractors and board members, and that it will provide additional protection to employees involved in the production and supply of the vaccine.
In Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company, which has about 1,200 employees, said the small amount of vaccine needed for the program has been separated from the millions of doses of Moderna the U.S. government has promised.
Moderna expects about 20 million doses to be ready for use in the U.S. by the end of this month, and about 200 million doses in total by the middle of 2021. The federal government has purchased these boxes and supervises their distribution.
Vaccinations with the Covid-19 Moderna vaccine started earlier this month. Betsy McKay from WSJ reports on how the injections are distributed. Photo: Paul Sancia/ Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
It would appear that the company’s new policy makes it possible to vaccinate certain persons who do not belong to the priority groups identified by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC stated that the first people to receive limited initial doses of the available vaccines would be health workers and residents of long-term care institutions, later followed by people aged 75 and over and some key workers, such as police officers and manufacturing workers.
The CDC did not respond immediately to a request for comments.
A Moderna spokesman said the policy would help ensure business continuity and the production of vaccines in the event of a pandemic. He said that because of the size of Moderna we have key personnel in all parts of our organization to respond to the pandemic.
Pfizer Inc,
who had about 88,000 employees worldwide in February, takes a different approach to the vaccine it produces with a partner.
BioNTECH SE.
A company spokesman said it plans to vaccinate employees as soon as they qualify for the CDC guidelines, the former being the core of the company’s workforce, including production positions. The company does not intend to prioritise the vaccination of our executives or board members over other risk groups, according to the spokesperson.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this month authorized emergency use of the Soverna vaccine in adults after a large study showed it was highly effective against Covida 19 disease. Last week federal health officials handed out millions of cans, including
Dr. Anthony Fauci.
got the first dose of the Soverna vaccine.
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The company stated that under the new policy it will also vaccinate adult members of its employees’ households in order to reduce the risk of absenteeism and disruption due to a Covida 19 infection contracted by a family member. The company makes the vaccinations voluntary and confidential and covers the costs.
Mr Moderna stated that he had informed the relevant health authorities of the programme and that he would monitor and report on the vaccinations, as required by FDA approval.
Moderna’s management has already stated that it has taken measures to reduce the risk of contamination of workers, including requiring personal protective equipment for those who have to work in their facilities, with some workers working from home.
-Jared S. Hopkins contributed to this article. -Jared S. Hopkins.
Email Peter Loftus at [email protected].
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Published on 30 December 2020 in a printed publication entitled Modern Employee Vaccine.
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