The Philippines' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the emergency use authorisation for American drug maker Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, FDA Director General Enrique Domingo said on May 5.

The decision came after rigorous and thorough review by regulatory and medical experts using the currently available published and unpublished data, Domingo said.

The known and potential benefits of Moderna, when used to prevent COVID-19, outweigh the known and potential risks of the said vaccine, he added.

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is the seventh vaccine given the green light by the FDA.

The Philippines has reported a total of 1,067,892 COVID-19 cases as of May 4, including 17,622 deaths.

Source: VNA