In what is deemed as a historic moment, the United Kingdom has authorised the use of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday, becoming the first country to do so. The vaccine will be essential in the fight against Coronavirus.
It has also been announced that the vaccine will roll out as early as next week. The quick approval of the vaccine is an indication that the British government wants to take the first steps in protecting its citizens from the deadly virus. According to reports, frontline health workers and nursing home residents will be getting the first vaccine shots.
“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. This follows months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA who have concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness,” said a British government in an official statement. The United Kingdom has ordered vaccine doses to vaccinate nearly 20 million people.
Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla has said that the authorisation by the British is a historic moment in the fight against Covid. “The authorisation is a goal that we have been working towards 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 United Kingdom,” he said.
