WASHINGTON — A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday endorsed emergency use of Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine, virtually assuring a second option for protecting against COVID-19 for a pandemic ravaged nation.

Members of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted 20-0 with one abstention in favor of the vaccine.

The FDA is expected to quickly authorize emergency use of the vaccine in the fight against COVID-19, which means it could start being administered as early as next week.

The panel’s vote indicates members think that given the totality of the scientific evidence, whether the benefits outweigh the risks for people 18 and older.

The committee, which provides advice to the agency, last week gave an okay for the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, which was authorized by the agency the next day. Health care workers and other priority recipients started receiving that vaccine Monday in what will be the largest vaccination program in the country’s history.