Moderna Vaccine Production Continues in Spain Amid Contamination Probe: EMA

The European Medicine Agency (EMA) has instructed a Spanish plant on Friday to continue producing Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine after about 1.63 million doses got suspended due to reports of contamination.

Earlier this week, the Japanese Ministry of Health said they received information that “foreign materials” were found in at least 390 doses—or 39 vials—of the Moderna vaccine that was coming from multiple vaccination sites, according to The Asahi Shimbun.

The U.S.-based pharmaceutical company said contamination could be due to a manufacturing issue on one of the production lines at its contract manufacturing site in Spain, operated by Madrid-based Rovi.

“COVID-19 vaccine production in Rovi is able to continue, following a preliminary risk assessment of the information received so far,” EMA told news agency Reuters in a statement on Friday, noting that it did not find reasons to seek a temporary suspension of production after an initial assessment.

“An investigation into the root cause is ongoing. EMA will be able to provide more information as the investigation progresses,” it added.

A spokesperson for Rovi—which bottles Moderna vaccines for markets outside of the U.S.—said the contract drug-making company could not say anything more while it was investigating the incident.

Takeda Pharmaceutical, a Japanese drugmaker distributing Moderna vaccines in Japan, received the contamination reports. – READ MORE