ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted an emergency use authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine Friday evening, the second vaccine to be authorized in the country. Prior to the authorization, the FDA advisory panel voted 20-0 with one abstention on Thursday to recommend the vaccine. UPDATE: US clears Moderna vaccine for COVID-19, 2nd shot in arsenalDr. A Oveta Fuller, a virologist and viral pathogen researcher at the University of Michigan, voted “No” to recommend the Pfizer vaccine. However, she said she voted “Yes” this time for Moderna. It seemed like their study was set up to meet that at the minimum but it wasn’t set up to do a whole lot else,” Fuller said.