On December 2nd Britain become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The coronavirus vaccine is available all over the world soon. Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted emergency use approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which they say is 95% effective in preventing illness, in record time – just 23 days since Pfizer published the first data from its final-stage clinical trial.
Why do we need a vaccine?
The vast majority of people are still vulnerable to coronavirus. It’s only the current restrictions that are preventing more people from dying. A vaccine would teach our bodies to fight the infection by stopping us from catching coronavirus or at least making Covid less deadly. Having a vaccine, alongside better treatments, is “the” exit strategy.
How Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is effective?
- They showed the vaccine is up to 95% effective
- The UK is due to get 40 million doses
- It is given in two doses, three weeks apart
- About 43,000 people have had the vaccine, with no safety concerns
- The vaccine must be stored at a temperature of around -70C. It will be transported in a special box, packed in dry ice, and installed with GPS trackers.
Who will get the vaccine first?
Older care home residents and staff top the UK’s preliminary priority list, followed by health workers like hospital staff, and the over-80s.
Are other countries likely to approve the vaccine soon as well?
Yes. Pfizer/BioNTech have also applied for approval in the US, EU, Australia, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand, and say they are preparing to submit applications to other regulatory agencies around the world.
Also, Read- How to Keep Your Immune System Healthy