A week after similar news from Pfizer, the American biotechnology company Moderna announced Monday that a late-stage trial shows its experimental coronavirus vaccine is 94.5% effective, provoking a fresh wave of demands that Big Pharma giants and policymakers worldwide ensure that any Covid-19 vaccine developed using taxpayer money and government support be safe, free, and available to all.

“This is a pivotal moment in the development of our Covid-19 vaccine candidate,” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement. “Since early January, we have chased this virus with the intent to protect as many people around the world as possible. All along, we have known that each day matters. This positive interim analysis from our phase 3 study has given us the first clinical validation that our vaccine can prevent Covid-19 disease, including severe disease.”

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