Updated Jan 12, 2021 - Health

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine expected to provide immunity for at least 1 year

Shawna Chen

Photo of a person wearing a black hat getting the Moderna vaccine from a masked health care worker — Photo: Mario Tama via Getty

Moderna's coronavirus vaccine will provide immunity from the disease for at least one year, the biotech company said Monday per Reuters.

Why it matters: Moderna's vaccine is one of two now authorized for emergency use in the U.S., as coronavirus cases surge past 22.5 million nationally and 90.8 million globally.

The big picture: Moderna expects to deliver around 600 million to 1 billion doses in 2021.

The U.S. has purchased a total of 200 million doses from Moderna.
The company has signed agreements with several other countries including Japan, Canada and Israel, boosting hope as the number of global cases nears 91 million.
The United Kingdom and the EU's European Medicines Agency approved the vaccine this week.

Yes, but: The World Health Organization cautioned on Monday that herd immunity is unlikely this year despite the vaccine rollout in countries around the world.

Editor's note: The headline has been clarified to reflect at least one year of immunization.

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Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine expected to provide immunity for at least 1 year

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