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Britain has become the first country in the world to approve the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine and said it will be launched early next week.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Welfare said: “The government today accepted the recommendation of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve the Pfizer / BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use.
“This follows months of rigorous clinical trials and extensive data analysis by MHRA experts who have concluded that the vaccine has met their strict standards for safety, quality and efficacy.
“The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) will also release its latest advice shortly for priority groups to receive the vaccine, including nursing home residents, health and care personnel, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable.
“The vaccine will be available throughout the UK from next week.”
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The spokesperson added: “The NHS has decades of experience delivering large-scale vaccination programs and will begin to put into action its extensive preparations to provide care and support to all persons eligible for vaccination.
“To help the vaccination program succeed, it is vital that everyone continues to play their role and abide by the necessary restrictions in their area so that we can further suppress the virus and allow the NHS to do its job without feeling overwhelmed.”
Help is on the way.
The MHRA has formally licensed the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine for Covid-19.
The NHS is set to start vaccinating early next week.
The UK is the first country in the world to have a clinically approved vaccine for supply.
– Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) December 2, 2020
Speaking on Sky News, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the JCVI would establish its priority list later today.
He said: “This is fantastic news. The MHRA, the fiercely independent regulator, has clinically licensed the launch of the vaccine.
“The NHS is ready for that to happen.
“So from the beginning of next week we will start the vaccination program of people against Covid-19 here in this country.”
The JCVI will decide which priority groups will take the hit first, such as nursing home residents, health and care personnel, the elderly, and the clinically extremely vulnerable.
Hancock told Sky News that there would be “three modes of administration” of the vaccine.
“The first is the hospitals themselves, of course we have facilities like this,” he said.
“50 hospitals across the country are already installed and waiting to receive the vaccine as soon as it is approved, so now it can happen.
“Also the vaccination centers, which will be great centers where people can go to get vaccinated. They are being installed now.”
“There will also be a community deployment, including GPs and pharmacists.
“Now, of course, due to the -70 ° C storage conditions of this vaccine, they will be able to support this launch wherever they have those facilities.
“But they will also be there if the AstraZeneca vaccine is approved because it doesn’t have these cold storage requirements and is therefore operationally easier to implement.”
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and the American biotechnology firm Moderna have reported preliminary findings of more than 90% effectiveness in trials of their vaccines, which are based on new messenger RNA (mRNA) technology.
Northern Ireland’s Health Minister said Robin Swann said: “This is a very significant day.
“My department has the plans and preparations in place. There will still be difficult days ahead, and people must not let their guard down, but there are brighter days ahead.”
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the news that a vaccine was approved for use in the UK was “the best news in a long time”.
The best news in a long time. @scotgov ready to start vaccinations as soon as supplies arrive https://t.co/C1HDWCLccd
– Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) December 2, 2020
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 towards since we first declared that science will win, and we applaud the MHRA for its ability to conduct a careful assessment and take timely action to help protect the people of the UK. “said CEO Albert. Bourla.
“As we anticipate more authorizations and approvals, we are focused on moving forward with the same level of urgency to safely deliver a high-quality vaccine around the world.”
Additional Reuters reports
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