UK to introduce Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine next week

Britain on Wednesday became the first Western country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine for general use, announcing a rollout of Pfizer-BioNTech's drug from next week in a historic advance for humanity's fightback against the coronavirus, AFP reports. 

"Help is on its way," health secretary Matt Hancock tweeted as his department announced emergency use approval by the UK's independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

"The NHS (National Health Service) stands ready to start vaccinating early next week," he said, noting: "The UK is the first country in the world to have a clinically approved vaccine for supply."

The health ministry said priority groups to receive the jab will include care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

An initial supply of 800,000 doses will be available, Hancock said. "This will start small and ramp up," he told BBC radio, anticipating "millions of doses" to be available by the end of the year.

"We can see the dawn in the distance but we have to get through to the morning," Hancock added, urging the public to continue respecting social restrictions in the meantime as England exited a four-week lockdown.

The breakthrough will encourage hopes the world can finally get back on course in 2021 after a year of traumatic losses, both human and economic.

The novel coronavirus has killed nearly 1.5 million people since the outbreak emerged in China 12 months ago. At least 63 million cases have been registered.

Other vaccines expected to come on stream soon include ones from Moderna and AstraZeneca/Oxford University.

News.Az 

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