UK has become the first Western country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine, the one produced by Pfizer/BioNTech. The first doses will be rolled out across the country next week. A final analysis of the Phase 3 trial of Pfizer’s vaccine shows it was 95% effective in preventing infections, even in older adults, and caused no serious safety concerns, according to the statements released by the company.
The United Kingdom has ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine, enough to vaccinate 20 million people. Health Secretary Matt Hancock mentioned to the international press agencies that an initial 800,000 doses would be available in the UK next week. BioNTech and Pfizer submitted their vaccine candidate to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in mid-November. They have also submitted to the EU’s European Medicines Agency.