LONDON — The healthcare regulator in the United Kingdom has approved Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for use.

It is the third jab the country has approved as part of its vaccine program along with those from Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca.

The UK has secured 17 million doses of the shot but they are not expected to be available until the spring.

The government said scientists from its Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) carried out a "thorough and rigorous assessment" along with the independent Commission on Human Medicines to ensure this vaccine meets the required standards of safety, quality and effectiveness to be used.

EU medicines regulator the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended authorizing the vaccine, the second to receive its green light after Pfizer, on Wednesday.

Like the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the Moderna jab uses messenger RNA (mRNA) to instruct cells to make the coronavirus' spike protein.

But Moderna's shot is easier to handle than the Pfizer vaccine because it doesn't need to be stored at ultra-frozen temperatures.

The US first authorized the use of the Moderna vaccine in December. — Euronews