--- title: Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine Moves to Phase 2 Tests description: In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave fast-track approval for Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, referred to as mRNA-1273. canonical: https://time.com/5835785/moderna-coronavirus-vaccine-phase-2/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2020-05-12T19:20:05.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-24T08:44:15.640Z article:section: Health og:title: Vaccine Maker Moderna Moves to Next Phase of Testing og:description: In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave fast-track approval for Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, referred to as mRNA-1273. og:url: https://time.com/5835785/moderna-coronavirus-vaccine-phase-2/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6bc8c3c6eab3803/698a0dfbb3fce38c910c6b7b/moderna-headquarters.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Massachusetts Based Biotech Company Moderna Receives FDA Approval To Continue Coronavirus Vaccine Trials og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Vaccine Maker Moderna Moves to Next Phase of Testing twitter:description: In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave fast-track approval for Moderna's coronavirus vaccine, referred to as mRNA-1273. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6bc8c3c6eab3803/698a0dfbb3fce38c910c6b7b/moderna-headquarters.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine Moves to Phase 2 Testing, and Gets Fast-Track Approval From the U.S. Government > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=5fc54cbd-bd5a-4d23-9884-843cb71170b4&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=5fc54cbd-bd5a-4d23-9884-843cb71170b4&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=5fc54cbd-bd5a-4d23-9884-843cb71170b4&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement.  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent May 12, 2020 7:20 PM UTC  Moderna headquarters on May 8, 2020 in Cambridge, Mass. Moderna headquarters on May 8, 2020 in Cambridge, Mass. Maddie Meyer—Getty Images  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent May 12, 2020 7:20 PM UTC On May 12, Moderna Therapeutics, based in Cambridge, Mass., received [fast-track approval](https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-receives-fda-fast-track-designation-mrna-vaccine-mrna) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, mRNA-1273\. Days earlier, the FDA gave the company the green light to [proceed to Phase 2 testing](https://investors.modernatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/moderna-receives-fda-fast-track-designation-mrna-vaccine-mrna) of the vaccine, which is expected to begin shortly. The company plans to launch the final stage of human testing, Phase 3, this summer, assuming the Phase 2 studies are complete, says Dr. Stephen Hoge, president of Moderna. Fast-track designation boils down to a more expedited review process by the FDA. In particular, it means the agency can review data on a rolling basis so an entire application for approval isn’t held up until the final piece of data is collected and analyzed. “It’s validation that the FDA believes this is a very credible exercise,” says Hoge. The Phase 2 studies will include around 600 healthy volunteers, half of whom are 18-55 years old and half of whom are over 55 years old. They will be randomly assigned to receive either placebo or one of two doses of Moderna’s experimental vaccine. Each participant will receive two shots—early studies suggest two injections might be necessary to jump-start the immune system to generate protection against the COVID-19 virus. All the patients will then be followed for a year as the researchers monitor their immune responses. Already, Moderna is thinking ahead towards the next steps should its vaccine receive FDA approval. “We have not hit major speed bumps or road blocks, so it’s been good so far,” says Hoge of developing and testing the vaccine. “But now as the data develops, we need to show that we can manufacture at scale, and we’re doing all we can to scale up to supply tens of millions of doses by the end of this year.” Moderna’s vaccine relies on a relatively new technology based on the mRNA of the virus; it involves injecting fragments of the viral genetic material into the body, which then stimulates the body’s immune system to fight the novel coronavirus. Public health experts anticipate that the COVID-19 virus won’t dissipate any time soon, and believe that generating strong and widespread immunity to the virus, with the help of vaccines, will be essential in keeping the disease under control and reopening economies around the world. Currently, there are around eight vaccines being tested in people, using different technologies. Public health experts believe that multiple vaccines may be needed in order to meet global demand to immunize and protect as many people as possible from COVID-19 in coming years. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5835785/moderna-coronavirus-vaccine-phase-2/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5835785/moderna-coronavirus-vaccine-phase-2/"},"headline":"Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine Moves to Phase 2 Testing, and Gets Fast-Track Approval From the U.S. Government","datePublished":"2020-05-12T19:20:05.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T08:44:15.640Z","description":"The FDA gave Moderna the go-ahead to test its vaccine candidate in hundreds of people","url":"https://time.com/5835785/moderna-coronavirus-vaccine-phase-2/","keywords":["COVID-19"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6bc8c3c6eab3803/698a0dfbb3fce38c910c6b7b/moderna-headquarters.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alice Park","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/alice-park/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte6bc8c3c6eab3803/698a0dfbb3fce38c910c6b7b/moderna-headquarters.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Massachusetts Based Biotech Company Moderna Receives FDA Approval To Continue Coronavirus Vaccine Trials","caption":"Massachusetts Based Biotech Company Moderna Receives FDA Approval To Continue Coronavirus Vaccine Trials","creditText":"Maddie Meyer—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/covid-19/","name":"COVID-19"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5835785/moderna-coronavirus-vaccine-phase-2/","name":"Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine Moves to Phase 2 Testing, and Gets Fast-Track Approval From the U.S. Government"}}]}] ```