Pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced Wednesday that they have obtained permission for the emergency use of their COVID-19 vaccine in the UK.
It is
the first country to authorize the coronavirus vaccine for emergency use
, with the approval of the Regulatory Agency for Health Products and Medical (MHRA, for its acronym in English).
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British Health Minister Matt Hancock added on his Twitter account that "help is on the way" and added that the British Healthcare (NHS) is ready to "start vaccinating early next week. week".
In clinical trials, reported in recent weeks, the vaccine has been shown to be 95% effective and with good results for all people, both young and old.
Pfizer said it will immediately start shipping limited supplies to the UK and has been preparing for even wider distribution if the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives a similar go-ahead, a decision. expected for next week.
[The pharmaceutical company Pfizer asks the US for emergency authorization to distribute it]
However, doses everywhere are in short supply, and initial supplies will be rationed until more are made in the first months of next year.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called the UK's decision "a historic moment."
"We are focused on moving forward with the same level of urgency to safely deliver a high-quality vaccine around the world," Bourla said in a statement.
The United Kingdom is one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic with more than 1.6 million confirmed cases and more than 58,000 deaths, according to data from NBC News, Telemundo's sister network.