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Britain on Wednesday became the first Western country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine for general use, as it announced the launch of the Pfizer-BioNTech drug starting next week.
“The government today accepted the recommendation of the Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine,” the health department said in a statement.
“The vaccine will be available throughout the UK from next week,” the statement said. Priority groups will include nursing home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable.
After months of “rigorous” clinical trials and extensive data analysis, the MHRA “concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards for safety, quality and efficacy,” the statement added.
“To help the vaccination program succeed, it is vital that everyone continues to play their role and adhere to the necessary restrictions in their area so that we can further suppress the virus and allow the NHS (National Health Service) to do its job without feeling overwhelmed. . “
Pfizer Chairman Albert Bourla said it was 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.
Pfizer and BioNTech added that they expected more regulatory decisions from other countries “in the coming days and weeks.”
The announcement came as England emerged from a month-long coronavirus lockdown, but most of the country remained under restrictions as a new regional system was launched to reduce infection rates.
The four-week lockdown, which began in November, was imposed to halt rising infection rates, ease pressure on health services and allow families to reunite at Christmas.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a Covid survivor, managed to win a vote on the measures in parliament Tuesday night, despite significant opposition within his own conservative ranks.
“All we have to do now is keep our nerves until these vaccines are really within our grasp and are injected into our arms,” he told lawmakers before the vote.
Until then “we cannot afford to relax, especially during the cold winter months,” he warned.
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