The NPR citation you posted suggests the Moderna control group was offered the vaccine in January 2021, about 14 days after it was approved.
Moderna was approved on December 18, 2020.[0]
Moderna phase 3 trial started on July 27, 2020.[1]
IE, the control group was offered the vaccine more than five months after the trial began. This is before completion of the trial (Oct 2022 for Moderna, IIRC), which is an issue, but this "14 day" as written seems to be suggesting that it was 14 days after the trial began, when it's actually five month.
Additionally, when a treatment proves to be highly effective, it's normal and appropriate to start providing that treatment to the control group early, because leaving them to die or otherwise suffer an illness is considered unethical. This isn't something unique to the COVID vaccines.
Moderna was approved on December 18, 2020.[0]
Moderna phase 3 trial started on July 27, 2020.[1]
IE, the control group was offered the vaccine more than five months after the trial began. This is before completion of the trial (Oct 2022 for Moderna, IIRC), which is an issue, but this "14 day" as written seems to be suggesting that it was 14 days after the trial began, when it's actually five month.
Additionally, when a treatment proves to be highly effective, it's normal and appropriate to start providing that treatment to the control group early, because leaving them to die or otherwise suffer an illness is considered unethical. This isn't something unique to the COVID vaccines.
[0] https://www.fda.gov/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/modern...
[1] https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/07/phase-3-...