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A Covid-19 vaccine from the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has been approved for use in the UK, paving the way for mass deployment. The jab, which has been described as a “game changer,” received a green light from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the approval is “fantastic news” and confirmed that implementation will begin on January 4, including in nursing homes. He told Sky News: “Now with this approval this morning, I am very confident that we can vaccinate enough vulnerable people before spring and now we can see the route out of this pandemic.” He said that a few difficult weeks are ahead “but we also know that there is a route out of this.” He added: “The vaccine provides that route. We all have to keep our nerves in the coming weeks.” Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: “It is truly fantastic news, and a triumph for British science, that the @ UniofOxford / @ AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use.” Now we will move to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible. ”The news comes amid mounting tension in England’s hospitals, where the number of Covid-19 patients is the highest it has been during the pandemic. Hancock is to announce any changes to the level areas in a statement to the Commons on Wednesday. ” We are facing a very significant challenge on the NHS right now, “he told Sky News.” There has been a significant increase in the number of cases, the highest number of cases recorded yesterday, 53,000 cases. “We will have to take more action.” The UK has ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine from Oxford University, enough to vaccinate 50 million people. Hancock said the plan is to vaccinate all vulnerable groups first, but that eventually all adults, including those under 50, will be offered a vaccine. England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said the vaccine is “safe and effective”, adding: “It is very good news that the independent regulator has authorized the use of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine.” The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), which advises ministers, will publish its latest guidance on who should get vaccinated and in what order later. Data published in the medical journal The Lancet in early December showed that the vaccine was 62% effective in preventing Covid-19 among a group of 4,440 people who received two standard doses of the vaccine compared to 4,455 people who received a placebo drug. Of 1,367 people who received half of the first dose of the vaccine followed by a second full dose, there was 90% protection against Covid-19 compared to a control group of 1,374 people. The MHRA has authorized the administration of two full doses of the vaccine to people. In the vaccine trial, 10 people who received the placebo dummy drug were admitted to the hospital with coronavirus, including two with severe Covid that resulted in one death. But among those who received the vaccine, there were no hospital admissions or serious cases. People receiving the Oxford vaccine or the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine, which is also being rolled out, will now receive their first dose of the vaccine followed by a second dose up to 12 weeks later. The goal is to give as many people as possible a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Hancock said: “This is important because it means that we can give the first dose to more people more quickly and they can get the protection that the first dose provides.” Scientists and regulators have analyzed the data and found that you get what they call “very effective protection” from the very first dose. “The second dose is still important, especially for long-term protection, but it means that we will be able to vaccinate more people more quickly than we could before.” AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said: “Today is an important day for millions of people in the UK who will have access to this new vaccine.” It has been shown to be effective, well tolerated, easy to administer, and is supplied by AstraZeneca. nonprofit. “Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, which led the clinical trial, said it is” a historic moment. “But he said the impact of vaccines is” to bring them into the arms of the people, stop the virus from causing serious illness and hospitalization, which we know all vaccines can do very efficiently. “He added:” There is good protection with the first dose, until the moment of the second dose. “And then the second dose is really important because we think it will be critical to the durability of the immune response that continues after that and hopefully it will help us prevent further waves of disease once we have a large segment of the vaccinated population. “. During the Oxford vaccine trial, the half dose followed by a full dose regimen occurred as a result of an accident. However, the MHRA was informed of what had happened and clinical trials of the vaccine were allowed to continue. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Soriot suggested that additional data presented to the regulator showed that the vaccine could match the 95% efficacy achieved by the Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. “We believe we have discovered the winning formula and how to achieve efficacy that, after two doses, is on par with all the others,” he said. Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the approval of the vaccine is “good news,” tweeting: “Now let’s go to hell for the leather to throw punches.” The Oxford vaccine can be stored in a standard refrigerator, unlike the Pfizer / BioNTech jab, which needs cold storage at around -70 ° C. This means that the Oxford vaccine is easier to implement in places like residences and GP surgeries.
Online editors
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