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On Monday, the European Medicines Agency gave the green light to Pfizer / Biontech’s coronavine vaccine. Soon after, the European Commission also announced its approval, which means that it is now free to launch the first doses in Europe.
Malin Parkler, CEO of Pfizer Sweden, describes the decision as a milestone.
– It is fantastic that the European Commission has approved the first covid-19 vaccine for Europe. We are very happy about that, of course. It is an important milestone in the fight against the pandemic.
Malin Parkler says the vaccine is truck-packed into final production in Belgium ready to sell out. Already on Saturday the first delivery is expected to arrive in Sweden.
– Our trucks are ready in Belgium to deliver vaccines to all EU countries at the same time, so on December 26 there will be a first dose load. So the regions are ready to start vaccinating sometime next week, says Malin Parkler.
Already the following week, an additional 80,000 doses are expected to arrive in Sweden, after which it will be replenished weekly.
“Solid studies”
Since the outbreak of the pandemic last spring, it has been more or less a race to get a vaccine against Covid-19.
According to Malin Parkler, despite the rapid process, there have been strong studies and tests.
– The process has followed every step as it usually is in vaccine development. Once you’ve found a vaccine that you think will work, you test it on animals first, then humans. Then there are big solid studies as with all vaccines. The reason it has gone so fast this time is that everyone has cooperated, says Malin Parkler.
“You should take people’s concerns seriously”
However, you are aware that there is some concern with a new vaccine. In the UK, for example, two people recently had severe allergic reactions.
– They are solid studies that have been carried out and examined in accordance with all the rules of art. But one must take people’s concerns seriously and I encourage anyone who is concerned to read on. What we’ve seen so far are mild side effects like with a regular vaccination, as a sign that the immune system has been activated, he says.
The public health authority has said that pregnant women, who are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19, will not be vaccinated in the first stage.
– There is not much data on pregnant women yet, so it is a typical area where we need to collect more data, says Malin Parkler.
