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During Monday’s press conference, the EU pharmaceutical agency EMA announced that they approve the Pfizer / Biontech vaccine against covid-19. The next step in the decision-making process is approval, which is expected to take place on Wednesday.
– This is truly a landmark scientific achievement. In less than a year, a vaccine against a new disease has been developed and licensed, says Emer Cooke, director of EMA.
Sweden’s vaccine coordinator Richard Bergström agrees that this is a great achievement.
– This are very good news. It is the first covid-19 vaccine approved in the EU and also for Sweden. This is a good day.
Strong pressure from member states
In the United States and the United Kingdom, covid-19 vaccines are already in full swing. Hundreds of millions of Europeans, on the other hand, have had to wait. After strong pressure from several member states, the EMA announced last week that the decision would be advanced.
Bergström further explains that the process took a little longer for the EU than for the United States and the United Kingdom for all 27 member countries to feel involved.
– It was important that all the 300-400 experts who participated felt comfortable, he says.
The European Commission’s decision is expected on Wednesday. Something that is more of a formality according to Bergström.
– Normally, the Commission with the Member States in this process takes a month to approve it. Now you have miraculously realized that you can do this in one day by getting ready. Interestingly, everyone had to review their administrative routines.
Sweden is expected to receive 90,000 doses
SVT Nyheter has previously reported on the preliminary vaccine plan for Sweden. If all goes well, a total of 90,000 doses are expected to arrive between days.
A central warehouse has been purchased and the National Board of Health and Welfare has been commissioned to purchase freezers that can withstand minus 70 degrees.
For starters, EU countries, including Sweden, will receive a token amount of the vaccine on December 26. After that, it will be replenished with the remaining 80,000 doses of Pfizer’s vaccine a week, starting December 28, for Sweden.
