Drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech announced Wednesday that their...

Drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech announced Wednesday that their coronavirus vaccine had been granted emergency authorization by regulators in Britain.


In a statement, Britain’s Department of Health and Social Care said that the decision to approve the vaccine “follows months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data” by a panel of experts who concluded that it met the standards for safety and effectiveness.
Distribution will begin next week, with vulnerable groups including the elderly, health workers and nursing home residents and staff expected to receive first priority.


Britain has been racing to become the first Western country to approve a coronavirus vaccine, and its government has already ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. “Now that the vaccine is authorized in the U.K., the companies will take immediate action to begin the delivery of vaccine doses,” a joint statement from the drugmakers said. “The first doses are expected to arrive in the U.K. in the coming days, with complete delivery fulfillment expected in 2021.

-The Washington Post