The United States on Thursday stood ready to ship 5.9 million doses of a new coronavirus vaccine that is on the cusp on winning regulatory approval, just as the nation suffered its highest daily Covid-19 death toll with 3 580 lives lost.
The tragic record set on Wednesday came while US hospitalisations rose for the 19th straight day, heightening the stakes as regulators considered whether to grant emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the vaccine developed by Moderna Inc, a week after authorising the first vaccine from Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE.
The U.S reported another 232, 255 cases on Wednesday, the second highest daily case load on record.
The United States leads the world with a cumulative 307,767 deaths and nearly 17 million reported Covid-19 cases, as many Americans and the outgoing administration of President Donald Trump have resisted calls by health experts for the stay-at-home orders and mask-wearing that have proven effective at controlling virus transmission.
But more could be arriving soon.
An FDA panel of outside advisers is weighing the safety and effectiveness of Moderna’s vaccine candidate at a meeting on Thursday, and is widely expected to vote to endorse its emergency use around 4pm.
