Falling U.S. Hospitalizations, Infections Bolster Hope Omicron Wave Is Waning

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday gave its full approval to Moderna Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine, branded Spikevax, for use in adults 18 and older, making it the second fully approved Covid-19 vaccine after one from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. The agency granted full approval to Moderna’s shot after conducting a more thorough review of the evidence for the vaccine’s safety and efficacy. Previously, the FDA had granted what is known as an emergency-use authorization for Moderna’s vaccine in December 2020, following a shorter-than-normal review of the shot. The FDA may grant such authorizations during public-health emergencies such as the continuing pandemic.