[ad_1]
Britain was the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine because it has “much better” regulators than France, Belgium and the United States, a senior minister claimed.
Secretary of Education Gavin williamson boasted that “we are a much better country than all of them”, after some international unrest emerged after jab’s groundbreaking news.
Government ministers and scientific advisers have said no corners were cut in the approval of Pfizer / BioNTech. COVID-19 vaccine and that it has fully met all safety standards, which means that the rollout may begin next week.
Live COVID updates as UK gears up for vaccine launch
:: Subscribe to the daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
But Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said regulators follow a “gold standard”, while the UK “did not do so very carefully.”
“If you go fast and do it superficially, people are not going to want to get vaccinated,” he warned.
Dr. Anthony Fauci said moving too fast would hurt people’s confidence
Follow Germany’s health minister Jens Spahn saying the UK used an emergency process to authorize a coronavirus vaccine and that the politicians there had decided against such a strategy to increase confidence in the jab’s safety.
Dismissing criticism, Williamson told LBC: “Well, I think we have the best people in this country and we obviously have the best medical regulators.
Gavin Williamson said he would take the vaccine live on television
“Much better than the French, much better than the Belgians, much better than the Americans.
“That doesn’t surprise me at all because we’re a much better country than all of them, isn’t it?”
The Pfizer vaccine is being purchased in Belgium, with an order for 40 million doses and 800,000 of those are expected to arrive soon.
Williamson also volunteered to get vaccinated live when he spoke to Sky News.
“I’m sure your viewers have better things to see than me having a live shot on television,” he told Kay Burley.
“And by the time it’s my turn to get the vaccine, I imagine I’ll be pretty low in the pecking order. Since there are so many more important people to get the vaccine before me.
“But if you really think your viewers would be that interested in seeing me get a shot, I’m sure they would.”
The possibility was raised that Boris Johnson also gets hit on television, when eligible to do so.
Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines ordered by the UK
Allegra Stratton, the prime minister’s press secretary, said: “We all know the character of the prime minister, I don’t think that’s something to discount.”
“But what we also know is that he wouldn’t want to take a hit that should be for someone who is extremely vulnerable, clinically vulnerable and who should take it before him.”
