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- The UK pharmaceutical regulator has granted emergency approval for the corona vaccine from German company Biontech and its US partner Pfizer.
- The government has announced that the vaccine should be available in the country as early as next week.
- It is the world’s first approval for the BNT162b2 vaccine.
“Relief is on the way,” British Health Minister Matt Hancock tweeted.
In most of the world there is no vaccine available for widespread use. China and Russia, among others, have been vaccinating some population groups for some time.
Biontech and Pfizer pointed out that their vaccine was approved based on data from a large clinical study involving tens of thousands of subjects.
The first deliveries should arrive in the UK in a few days, Biontech and Pfizer confirm. You then delivered a total of 40 million vaccine doses with Britain for December and next year.
95% protection against Covid-19
According to the companies, an extensive series of tests for the Biontech / Pfizer vaccine has shown efficacy that offers 95% protection against Covid-19 disease. The vaccine works equally well across all age groups and other demographic differences and shows virtually no serious side effects, the companies said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes vaccinations will boost the economy. “Protection through vaccinations will ultimately allow us to regain our lives and restart the economy,” he wrote on Twitter.
Keystone
Vaccination protection for people over 65 is over 94%. These positive results relate to protection against Covid 19 disease. It is not yet clear to what extent the vaccine also protects against infections and possible transmission of the virus.
The EU wants to move forward
For the EU, the European Medicines Agency Ema wants to decide on a recommendation for the approval of the corona vaccine from Biontech and Pfizer in December.
The agency announced Tuesday that the exam results should be available by December 29 at the latest. Germany and the EU have already signed a framework agreement to purchase up to 300 million doses of the vaccine.
The military helps vaccinate
The UK has been particularly affected by the pandemic and many of the chronically underfunded hospitals have reached their capacity limits.
According to the Department of Health, nearly 60,000 people in the UK have already died of Covid-19. A large number of unreported cases are expected. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is accused of reacting too late and inadequately to the crown crisis.
50 hospitals and vaccination centers are ready to start vaccination. The 40 million doses of the vaccine can protect 20 million people: the drug must be administered twice. Britain has a population of nearly 67 million. According to the Ministry of Health, the military is helping with the logistics.
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