The United States says it is considering giving some people half the dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in order to vaccinate more people. Moncef Slaoui is the head the country’s vaccine program. He said Sunday that officials were discussing the possible plan with Moderna and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Moderna’s vaccine requires two doses per individual. He said that giving half of the dose to people between the ages of 18 and 55 will allow the vaccination program to “double the number of people with the doses we have.” He added that just one injection causes an “identical” immunity. Moderna and the FDA could not immediately be reached for comment. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had injected more than four million people with a first dose of vaccine by Monday morning. It said it had sent out more than 13 million doses. The U.S. has also approved a two-dose vaccination treatment from drug company Pfizer. The government’s vaccination plan has not been meeting its goals. Officials had hoped to have 20 million people vaccinated by the end of the 2020.
