AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine won UK approval, marking the first approval worldwide for a vaccine that faces questions but will be key to mass immunizations.
The vaccine will be prioritized for the country’s most vulnerable groups early in the new year, according to company and government statements on Wednesday. It is the second coronavirus injection authorized for emergency use in the UK after Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE in early December.
The ruling will help the UK increase vaccination and provides a rationale for the homegrown vaccine, which has faced questions about discrepancies in the results of its clinical trials. The government has invested more in the product than in any other vaccine, buying 100 million doses. The injection can be quickly deployed because it is easier to transport and store than Pfizer-BioNTech’s, and only requires refrigerator temperatures rather than deep freezing.
A first dose of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine will be given to as many people as possible, followed by a second dose within 12 weeks. A government advisory group said the priority should be to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible rather than completing a two-dose regimen right away.
The approval comes as the UK seals its divorce from the European Union with a trade deal and tightens the locks. Coronavirus cases are on the rise in the country, with a new strain causing worldwide concern.
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