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The European medicines regulator has approved the use of the Pfizer / BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for inoculations across Europe in the coming days.
A number of EU countries, including Germany, France, Austria and Italy, have said they plan to launch vaccination programs for their most vulnerable groups from Sunday, after that the US and UK started vaccinating earlier this month.
The Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) presented its decision on the vaccine from the scheduled date of December 29 after pushing to speed up the process from several EU member states, including Germany.
“I am delighted to announce that the EMA Scientific Committee has met today and has recommended a conditional marketing authorization in the EU for the vaccine,” said the director of the agency , Emer Cooke, at an online press conference.
“Our scientific opinion paves the way for the first marketing authorization in the EU,” she said. “This is an important step forward in the fight against this pandemic which is causing suffering and hardship.”
Agency authorization is known as conditional marketing approval. It is valid for 12 months and can be renewed annually. After further checks, it is likely to be converted into a full marketing authorization valid for five years.
The EMA’s verdict was followed by final approval from the European Commission later on Monday.
Preparations for the vaccine’s deployment come as a new, highly infectious strain of coronavirus discovered in Britain has caused disruption in the region, with nearly 20 EU countries suspending travel links with the UK.
Cooke said there was “no evidence” that the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine would not work against the new variant.
European governments are enlisting medical students, retired doctors, pharmacists and soldiers for an unprecedented vaccination program that will initially target frontline health workers and elderly residents of nursing homes.
Most national immunization programs will not reach the general public until the end of the first quarter of 2021 at the earliest.
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