Home General ‘Historic’: UK Becomes First Nation to Approve Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine for Use, Rollout Next Week

‘Historic’: UK Becomes First Nation to Approve Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine for Use, Rollout Next Week

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Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use against COVID-19 and said that it will be rolled out from next week.

“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.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the programme would begin early next week. “It is very good news,” Hancock said.

Britain’s approval of the vaccine marks a “historic moment” in the battle against the pandemic, the US pharma group’s chief executive said on Wednesday, after his company won the first such authorisation in the West.

“Today’s Emergency Use Authorisation in the UK marks a historic moment in the fight against Covid-19

,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, adding, “We are focusing on moving with the same level of urgency to safely supply a high-quality vaccine around the world.

The US company and Germany’s BioNTech said they expected further regulatory decisions from other countries “in the coming days and weeks”.

Pfizer said it would immediately begin shipping limited supplies to the UK — and has been gearing up for even wider distribution if given a similar nod by the US Food and Drug Administration, a decision expected as early as next week.

But doses everywhere are scarce, and initial supplies will be rationed until more is manufactured in the first several months of next year.

While the U.K. has ordered enough Pfizer vaccine for 20 million people, its not clear how many will arrive by years end and adding to the distribution challenges is that it must be stored at ultra-cold temperatures.

Two doses three weeks apart are required for protection. First in line, the U.K. government says, are frontline health care workers and nursing home residents, followed by older adults.

(With inputs from agencies)

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