Moderna's vaccine does not need to be transported at extremely cold temperatures. (Photo: AP/Bill Feig/The Advocate)

The committee voted 20-0 with one abstention that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh its risks in people aged 18 and older, one week after the same panel backed a similar vaccine from Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech, leading to an FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) a day later.

The FDA is expected to grant the EUA as early as late Thursday or Friday, providing another ray of hope to a nation that has lost more than 300,000 lives to COVID-19.

The Moderna vaccine is set to begin distribution as soon as the FDA gives the green light. Unlike Pfizer’s vaccine, which comes with complex distribution challenges due to its need to be shipped and stored at -70 DC, Moderna’s vaccine does not require specialized ultra-cold freezers or vast quantities of dry ice, making it easier to supply rural and remote areas.