S.Korea approves Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine

FILE PHOTO: A nurse draws a Moderna coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine, at East Valley Community Health Center in La Puente, California, U.S., March 5, 2021. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea on Friday approved Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine, as the country attempts to speed up its inoculation efforts, drug safety minister Kim Gang-lip told a news conference.

The green light comes after two of three expert panels recommended approval be granted for the two-dose vaccine based on safety and efficacy in late-stage trials in the United States.