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Britain said on Sunday it had secured an additional 2 million doses of a promising coronavirus vaccine as it prepared to launch the country’s most ambitious inoculation program in decades within days.
The UK has experienced the deadliest coronavirus outbreak in Europe, with more than 58,000 confirmed deaths linked to the virus. It now hopes to take a more positive step by becoming one of the first countries in the world to start vaccinating its population against COVID-19.
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The UK government has agreed to buy more than 350 million doses of vaccine from seven different producers, if they prove effective, as it prepares to vaccinate as many of the country’s 67 million people as possible.
The health ministry said on Sunday it had increased its order for a vaccine developed by the U.S. company Moderna from 5 million to 7 million doses, enough for 3.5 million people.
The Moderna vaccine is expected to be submitted to the UK Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency shortly, to see if it is safe and effective. Two other vaccines – one developed by Pfizer and the German company BioNTech, the other by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca – are already being evaluated by the regulator, the last step before their deployment.
Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine and 100 million doses of the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine.
Hospitals in England have been told they could receive the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine as early as the week of December 7 if it receives approval, the Guardian and Financial Times reported. The U.S. immunization program also hopes to start immunizing some Americans in December.
The government says frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents will be the first to be vaccinated, followed by older people, starting with those over 80.
Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said he “wouldn’t be too surprised if an announcement was made within the next two weeks, maybe even as early as next week.”
Non-medical staff, including volunteer rescuers, are already being trained to administer the vaccines, which will be administered at around 1,000 community vaccination centers and 40 to 50 large-scale facilities in stadiums and conference rooms, according to a government planning document.
A four-week national lockdown in England is due to end on Wednesday and will be replaced by a three-tier system of regional measures. The vast majority of the country is placed in the top two tiers which means most people won’t be allowed to meet friends indoors, pubs and restaurants are still restricted and all, from large weddings to choral practices, is prohibited.
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Pfizer and BioNTech say their vaccine is 95% effective, according to preliminary data. It should be stored at ultra-cold temperatures of around minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit. The Moderna vaccine, which must also be stored at freezing temperatures, was also around 95% effective in clinical trials, the company said.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine can be stored at conventional refrigerator temperatures, which greatly simplifies its distribution and is also cheaper than its main competitors. But some scientists have questioned the shortcomings in its reported results.
Oxford and AstraZeneca reported this week that their vaccine appeared to be 62% effective in people who received two doses and 90% when volunteers received a half dose followed by a full dose. They said the half-dose was given due to a manufacturing error and that they are planning a new clinical trial to investigate the most effective dosage regimen.
Full data from the Oxford-AstraZeneca trial is expected to be released shortly and may answer some of the questions about the vaccine.
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