Coronavirus: UK first country to approve Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine

The UK has become the first country to approve the COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech. The rollout will begin next week and the first segments to receive it will be care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable. READ: Coronavirus: UK expected to approve Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine this week, acquires 2mln extra doses of Moderna jab The country has already booked 40mln doses of the jab, which was the first to announce the results of late-stage studies, with 95% efficacy proven. Normally, the UK is subject to the decisions of the European Medicines Agency until Brexit takes place, however the country's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency can issue emergency approvals. “This follows months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency who have concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness,” a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said in a statement. “The NHS has decades of experience in delivering large scale vaccination programmes and will begin putting their extensive preparations into action to provide care and support to all those eligible for vaccination.”