UK Becomes First Nation to Approve Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine for Use, Rollout Next Week

Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use against COVID-19 and said that it will be rolled out from next week.

“The Government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use,” the government said. “The vaccine will be made available across the UK from next week.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the programme would begin early next week. “It is very good news,” Hancock said.

Britain’s approval of the vaccine marks a “historic moment” in the battle against the pandemic, the US pharma group’s chief executive said on Wednesday, after his company won the first such authorisation in the West.

“Today’s Emergency Use Authorisation in the UK marks a historic moment in the fight against Covid-19,” said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, adding, “We are focusing on moving with the same level of urgency to safely…