New Delhi: In a major development in the fight against the covid-19 pandemic, the United Kingdom on Wednesday approved emergency use authorization to Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine, raising hopes across the world.
The United Kingdom has licensed emergency use authorization to Pfizer-BioNTech's covid-19 vaccine which will come into effect from next week.
“The Government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use,” the government said. “The vaccine will be made available across the UK from next week," it added.
Meanwhile, US firm Pfizer has said Britain's emergency authorization marks landmark decision in the global effort to halt the virus that has claimed hundreds of thousand lives worldwide.
Albert Bourla, the chairman and chief executive officer of Pfizer, said, “Today’s emergency use authorization in the UK marks a historic moment in the fight against Covid-19. This authorization is a goal we have been working toward since we first declared that science will win, and we applaud the MHRA for their ability to conduct a careful assessment and take timely action to help protect the people of the UK.
"This authorization is a goal we have been working toward since we first declared that science will win, and we applaud the MHRA for their ability to conduct a careful assessment and take timely action to help protect the people of the UK. As we anticipate further authorizations and approvals, we are focused on moving with the same level of urgency to safely supply a high-quality vaccine around the world," Bourla added.
Pfizer and BioNTech has said that their have 50 mn vaccine doses available ready to be launched in the market.
Matt Hancock, health secretary, has said that UK expects 10mn doses to arrive by the end of this year while adding that delivery for 2021 will be rolled out in stages.
Meanwhile, Pfizer awaits US and EU's approval for the emergency auhorization. The US FDA has called for a meeting on December 10 to review the vaccine and is most likely to approve it for emergency use across the country.
Other than Pfizer, Moderna has also sought emergency use approval from US and EU for their vaccine candidate which they said is 94.1 per cent effective against the virus.
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