Will know by November-end if Covid-19 vaccine works, says Moderna

In order for the vaccine to be considered for authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), at least 53 study participants needed to become ill with Covid-19.

Moderna has finished accumulating data for a first analysis of its Covid-19 vaccine and expects to have an announcement on the vaccine’s efficacy by the end of the month, the company said in a statement on Wednesday.

The American biotechnology firm is conducting a clinical trial of about 30,000 participants, with half of the participants receiving the vaccine and the other half receiving a place­bo, which is a shot of saline that does not seem to have any effect, media reports said.

In order for the vaccine to be considered for authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), at least