British pharmaceutical regulators on Wednesday approved a neo-crown vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc. and a German partner, becoming the first Western country to authorize the use of a neo-crown vaccine. The neo-crown virus has killed more than 1.4 million people around the world.
Joan Ryan, the head of Britain’s Medicines Control Agency, said Wednesday that regulators had used a “rolling process” to speed up emergency authorization of the vaccine in light of the urgency of the outbreak.
She said, “The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has made its recommendation to the government to approve the use of the vaccines after an extremely thorough and rigorous scientific review of the safety, efficacy and quality of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said Wednesday that the vaccine will be delivered simultaneously through hospitals, immunization centers and community pharmacies.
He said, “Fifty hospitals around the country have been set up and are ready to receive the vaccine once approval is complete. The process can now begin.”
Prime Minister Johnson told Parliament that the vaccine could be available as soon as next week and would be used first for priority groups such as the elderly and health care workers.
But Johnson stressed that the British government would not make the vaccine mandatory.
I strongly urge people to get vaccinated,” he said. But compulsory vaccination is not in British culture, and it’s not our plan. We’re not going to do that.”
The U.K. government has already purchased 40 million doses of vaccine, which could be used by 20 million people.
People on the streets of London had mixed reactions to the news of the New Crown vaccine’s approval, despite the Pfizer vaccine’s clinical trials being 95% effective.
Samantha, a resident, said, “I don’t believe it. There’s so much unknowing going on that I don’t think there are enough clinical trials. We don’t have enough time to make sure the vaccine is safe.”
Resident Rubens said, “A lot of people are skeptical. But once they see that other people are vaccinated, they’ll understand. I think people will eventually get vaccinated, after all, it’s a matter of life and death.”
Analysts note that the U.K.’s move to authorize emergency use of the Neocon vaccine ahead of the U.S. could increase pressure on U.S. regulators. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently in the process of approving the vaccine.
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