- The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will be made available across the UK from next week.
- The U.K. government says frontline health care workers and nursing home residents will be first in line to get vaccinated, followed by older adults.
- This 95 percent effectiveness rate brings the experimental candidate on par with the likes of shingles and measles vaccines.
Britain became the first country in the world to approve the COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, and said it will be rolled out from early next week, reports Reuters.
Emergency authorization
The emergency authorization clears the way for the deployment of a vaccine that’s expected to play a significant role in the global effort to halt the coronavirus.
“The Government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use,” the government said.
“The vaccine will be made available across the UK from next week,” it added.
Fight against COVID-19
Pfizer said Britain’s emergency use authorization marks a historic moment in the fight against COVID-19. “This authorization is a goal we have been working toward since we first declared that science will win, and we applaud the MHRA for their ability to conduct a careful assessment and take timely action to help protect the people of the UK,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the programme would begin early next week. “Hospitals are already ready to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. It is very good news,” Hancock said.
While the UK has ordered enough Pfizer vaccine for 20 million people, it’s not clear how many will arrive by year’s end. Adding to the distribution challenges, the Pfizer vaccine must be stored at ultra-cold temperatures. Two doses three weeks apart are required for protection.
Read Also: French PM says European regulator should soon approve COVID-19 vaccine
A warm welcome!
“This is great news and remarkable progress given the first cases were less than a year ago. It shows what progress can be made through science and innovation,” said John Tregoning, a reader in respiratory infections at Imperial College London.
He added, “The MHRA, the UK drug regulator, will have gone through all the safety data from the trials before approving and will continue to monitor as it is rolled out more widely. The next step will be to get the vaccine to the people who need it the most.”
Danny Altmann, Professor of Immunology at Imperial College London said, “Exciting news keeps coming, but this really is momentous. Nobody knew how the battle to find effective vaccines would pan out. Now, less than 11 months from the first characterisation of the virus sequence, we have the first emergency approval for use of a really effective vaccine. Truly heroic.”
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Source: Reuters
