The UK is the first Western country to go green.
In the global vaccination race, one of the most massive and crucial in history, the British government announced on Wednesday authorizing the vaccine against the coronavirus developed by the American giant Pfizer and the German BioNTech.
“The government today accepted the recommendation of the Independent Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve the use of Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine,”
the ministry said. of Health.
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Boris Johnson immediately greeted the
"fantastic"
news
.
"This is what will ultimately allow us to regain our lives and restart the economy,"
tweeted the Prime Minister.
For his part, the boss of Pfizer hailed a
"historic moment".
The public health service (NHS) is ready to start vaccination from the beginning of next week but Boris Johnson has recognized the scale of the logistical challenge, for 67 million inhabitants.
Fifty hospitals across the country are ready to receive the vaccine.
Vaccination centers, pharmacies or medical centers will also be called upon.
The army will set up around ten vaccination centers in conference spaces or stadiums, and will be used for transport.
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Health Minister Matt Hancock said priority people included nursing home residents, caregivers, the elderly and the most vulnerable.
Downing Street assured that Boris Johnson would wait his turn, without privilege, but with perhaps a television vaccination to set an example ...
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Matt Hancock insisted the green light followed
"months of rigorous clinical trials and extensive data analysis by MHRA experts who concluded the vaccine met its stringent standards for safety, quality and efficiency ”.
Test results showed 95% effectiveness.
Despite these assurances, some experts question the unprecedented speed of this approval.
It comes just 23 days after Pfizer published its data on the final stage of its clinical trials.
"The MRHA is serious and has no interest in taking risks"
relativizes a specialist.
A short explanation
The EMA sent an unusual spike to the British, saying its longer procedure was more appropriate, as it was based on more evidence and controls.
The European agency will hold an extraordinary meeting on December 29
"at the latest"
to decide on the green light for the marketing of this vaccine.
It is also being evaluated in the United States.
Confirming the political connotation of this announcement, the British government claimed that Brexit had made this breakthrough possible, by freeing itself from
"the slower pace of Europeans"
.
The German Minister of Health replied that this explanation was a little short, the company BioNTech having been
"funded by the EU"
...
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