It is a historic moment for the UK as it becomes the first Western country to license a vaccine against COVID. Pfizer/ BioNTech Vaccine are authorized to open for mass immunization from next week.
Here is everything you need to know:
- Over 800,000 doses of Pfizer/ BioNTech is expected to be available in the UK from next week for those most at risk.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) have authorized the emergency use of this vaccine under special regulations.
- The UK has bought over 40m doses of vaccine which has proven to be 95% effective in its final trials.
- MHRA has conducted several clinical trials and thorough analyses for data in recent months.
- They have concluded that the vaccine meets safety, quality, and effectiveness standards.
- Care home residents, health and care staff, and the elderly who are the most vulnerable will be receiving the first doses from next week.
- The NHS is ready to start the program of vaccinating people against Covid-19.
- There is a challenging factor involved in mass vaccination across the nation as the vaccine needs to be kept at -70C.
- Specialist Vaccination centers are being built to deliver the first jabs next week.
- The vaccine will also be available in Pharmacists with cold storage facilities.
PM Boris Johnson took to Twitter to announce the recent developments:
Now there is hope to save lives. Once we have protected our most vulnerable ones, we can work on to get back to Normal.