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Moderna has released information on a new COVID-19 vaccine that they claim offers nearly 95% protection, while SpaceX makes historic launch of 4 NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, and more of today’s top news stories.
Moderna announced its new coronavirus vaccine on Monday claiming the vaccination is 94.5 percent effective in protecting against COVID-19 according to early data, the BBC reported.
The result comes just days after Pfizer announced its new vaccine with claims of 90 percent protection. Moderna said no significant safety concerns have been reported in the trials. The company said it did not have figures on how long immunity will last after being vaccinated.
The company says it will apply to US regulators in the coming weeks and expects to have 20 million doses available in America. By early next year, the company hopes to have 1 billion doses available to distribute globally, as it seeks approval for use of the vaccine in other countries as well.
In a historic launch, SpaceX sent four NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, kicking off what will be regular crew flights from the United States. The Crew-1 mission is the first crew rotation flight on a U.S. commercial spacecraft, Fox reported.
The four NASA astronauts lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:27 p.m. ET Sunday, blasted by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Crew Dragon spacecraft, which was named Resilience by the crew, will reach the International Space Station around 11 p.m. ET Monday.
The Leonid meteor shower, one of the most incredible meteor displays that occurs yearly, will come into view on Monday, with good visibility for most of the United States, particularly in southern latitudes and the West, WBIR reports.
The Leonid meteor shower starts its peak on November 16 reaching prime viewing conditions on Monday at dusk through Tuesday at dawn. Viewers can expect to see around 15 meteors per hour.
The Leonid meteor shower is the result of the Earth passing through the meteoroid stream of particles left behind by Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, the comet responsible for the annual Leonids. The Leonid meteor shower occurs every year beginning November 6 through November 30, and reaches its peak on November 17.
Over 82,000 people have now come forward with sex abuse claims in court filings against the Boy Scouts of America, the New York Times reported.
The number of claims against the Boy Scouts has now surpassed even the number of sex abuse cases filed against the Catholic Church. The numbers climbed ahead of a deadline established in bankruptcy court in Delaware where the Boy Scouts had sought refuge this year in a bid to survive the demands for damages, according to the Times, which said the national organization has more than $1 billion in assets according to its bankruptcy filing.
The Boy Scouts, in a statement, said: “The response we have seen from survivor suspend gut wrenching. We are deeply sorry.”
