Moderna says its COVID-19 shot is 94.5% effective

Promising news from a second COVID-19 vaccine: Moderna said Monday its shots provide strong protection, a dash of hope against grim backdrop of coronavirus surges in U.S. and around world.

Moderna's vaccine appears to be 94.5% effective, according to preliminary data from company's still ongoing study in 30,000 volunteers. Exactly a week ago, competitor Pfizer Inc. anunced its own COVID-19 vaccine appeared to be similarly effective -- news that puts both companies on track to seek permission within weeks for emergency use in U.S.

Dr. Stephen Hoge, Moderna's president, welcomed "really important milestone" -- but said having similar results from two vaccines me by different companies is what's most reassuring. "That should give us all hope that actually a vaccine is going to be able to stop this pandemic and hopefully get us back to our lives," Hoge told Associated Press.

A vaccine can't come fast eugh, as virus cases topped 11 million in U.S. over weekend -- 1 million of m recorded in just past week. pandemic has killed more than 1.3 million people worldwide, more than 245,000 of m in U.S.

Still, if Food and Drug ministration allows emergency use of Moderna's or Pfizer's candidates, re will be limited, and rationed, supplies before end of year. Moderna expects to have about 20 million doses, earmarked for U.S., by end of 2020. Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech expect to have about 50 million doses globally by year's end.

Moderna's vaccine, created toger with National Institutes of Health, is being studied in 30,000 volunteers who received eir real vaccination or a dummy shot. Sunday, an independent monitoring board broke code to examine 95 infections recorded in that final-st study so far -- and discovered all but five illnesses occurred in participants who got placebo.

study is continuing, and Moderna ackwledged protection rate might change as more COVID-19 infections are detected and ded to calculations. Also, it's too soon to kw how long protection lasts, both cautions for Pfizer's vaccine as well.