09:40 AM
Wednesday 02 December 2020
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Mainz – (dpa):
The German company “Biontec” and “Pfizer” the American drug company announced today, Wednesday, that the British Medicines Regulatory Authority has issued an emergency approval for the new vaccine against the new Corona virus that causes Covid-19 disease developed by the two companies.
This will give the British the green light to get a vaccine sooner than the European Union and the United States of America.
This is also the world’s first approval of the vaccine named “BNT162b2”.
The two companies announced today that the first shipments are expected to arrive in the UK within a few days. The two companies said in a statement: “The first emergency approval of the Covid-19 vaccine is a pioneering scientific qualitative leap.”
A spokesman for the British Ministry of Health confirmed that the approval was issued today in London.
For the Biontech / Pfizer vaccine, a wide series of tests have shown an efficacy that provides 95% protection against Corona. After completing recent analyzes, the two companies said the vaccine worked similarly well across all age groups and other demographic differences, and showed virtually no serious side effects. The percentage of protection provided by vaccination for people over the age of 65 is more than 94%.
These positive results relate to the prevention of Covid 19 disease. It is not yet clear to what extent the vaccine also protects against infection and the possibility of virus transmission.
The European Medicines Agency “IMA” also intends to make a decision on the recommendation for approval of the Corona vaccine for Biontec and Pfizer this December. The agency announced on Tuesday that the results of the review will be available by December 29 at the latest.
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