US vaccinations ramp up as 2nd Covid-19 shot nears

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Hundreds more hospitals around the country began dispensing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) shots to their workers in a rapid expansion of the United States vaccination drive Tuesday, while a second vaccine moved to the cusp of government authorization.

A day after the rollout of Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus shots, the Food and Drug Administration said its preliminary analysis confirmed the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health. A panel of outside experts is expected to vote to recommend the formula on Thursday, with the FDA's green light coming soon thereafter.