BackUK authorises use of Pfizer-BioNTech's covid-19 vaccine
The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations will shortly publish its final advice for the priority groups to receive the vaccine, including care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable
PremiumNEW DELHI: In a first, the UK government on Wednesday approved the use of Pfizer-BioNTech's covid-19 vaccine that will be available across the country from next week.
“The (UK) 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," a Department of Health and Social Care, UK government, spokesperson said. This follows months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA who have concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.
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The spokesperson further said the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) will shortly publish its final advice for the priority groups to receive the vaccine, including care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable.
“To aid the success of the vaccination programme it is vital everyone continues to play their part and abide by the necessary restrictions in their area so we can further suppress the virus and allow the NHS to do its work without being overwhelmed. Further details will be set out shortly," the spokesperson said in the statement.
Pfizer and BioNTech on November 9 had announced that their mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, against SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated evidence of efficacy against covid-19 in participants without prior evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, based on the first interim efficacy analysis conducted on November 8, by an external, independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) from the phase 3 clinical study.
The vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing covid-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first interim efficacy analysis. The analysis evaluated 94 confirmed cases of covid-19 in trial participants. The study enrolled 43,538 participants, with 42% having diverse backgrounds, and no serious safety concerns have been observed; Safety and additional efficacy data continue to be collected, a press statement from Pfizer had stated.
Indian government too is expected to give authorisation to some of covid-19 vaccines candidates. India has been exploring various vaccines for covid-19.
Pune-based Serum Institute of India's (SII) Covishield, developed with Oxford University and pharma giant AstraZeneca, is undergoing phase stage of the clinical trials. Also, Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has partnered with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for conducting clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine and its distribution in India.
Another coronavirus vaccine, Covaxin, is being developed by Bharat Biotech in association with the country’s apex biomedical research body Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Gujarat-based pharma giant Zydus Cadila Ltd is also developing another indigenous vaccine which is in the second phase of the clinical trials.
The Indian National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) in consultation with state governments and all relevant stakeholders had prepared and presented a detailed blueprint of vaccine storage, distribution, and administration, officials in the union health ministry said. The expert group in consultation with the states is also working actively on vaccine prioritization and distribution of covid-19 vaccine.
Meanwhile, India's covid-19 burden continues to increase with the total tally of cases breaching 95 lakhs on Wednesday. The number of daily new covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours is 36,604.
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