On Friday, the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed off on the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) complete clearance of Moderna Inc's (MRNA.O) COVID-19 vaccination for people aged 18 and above.

Since December 2020, the vaccine has been in use under an emergency use permission granted by the US Food and Drug Administration, and it is currently the second completely authorized COVID-19 vaccine in the US.

Following the FDA's complete clearance of the vaccine on Monday, a CDC panel decided unanimously to recommend its use on Friday.

The CDC must sign off on how vaccinations will be deployed in the US after the FDA has approved them. The green light from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is the final step in the approval procedure.

Spikevax will be the brand name for the vaccine going forward.

In August, the COVID-19 vaccine, developed by Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and BioNTech SE, got complete clearance for those aged 16 and up.

In the United States, almost 75 million individuals have been completely immunized using Moderna's vaccine.