Vaccine: Sharma grilled by Dan Walker over supply from Belgium
Coronavirus vaccination is well underway in the UK, where health workers have delivered on the 800,000 Pfizer jabs they procured from the US. They have now administered hundreds of thousands of initial doses, with more to come when further batches arrive. But the next batch may come from a different pharmaceutical company, Moderna, which is just a step behind Pfizer in its development process.
Has the Moderna vaccine been approved in the UK?
Moderna researchers took longer to deliver its early trial results, running slightly behind their fellow countrymen at Pfizer.
Although they emerged later, the results were more encouraging, as they showed up to 95 percent protection from Covid-19.
Ministers have acquired seven million doses of the vaccine, but can’t administer it just yet.
We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.
The last news from the Government regarding the Moderna vaccine came in November when cabinet ministers announced they procured a further two million doses on top of the five they already had.
At the time, the health secretary said expanding the UK’s vaccine “portfolio” would allow authorities to roll them out as soon as possible.
He also hinted the Government would follow the same process as it did with the Pfizer vaccine, targeting the vulnerable first.
Matt Hancock said: “Every week, we are getting more positive news about the range of vaccines in development, and thanks to the work of our taskforce the UK has pre-ordered hundreds of millions of doses from those companies most advanced in their work.”
“This includes buying a further two million doses of Moderna’s vaccine, on top of the five million we’ve already secured.
“With a wide range of vaccine candidates in our portfolio, we stand ready to deploy a vaccine should they receive approval from our medicines regulator, starting with those who will benefit most.”
While not yet approved in the UK, the US has recently made progress.
The country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently confirmed its early analysis showed it was 95 percent effective.
DON’T MISS
Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith has Coronavirus vaccine – PICTURES
Is the vaccine safe, can it alter your DNA, is it tested? – EXPLAINER
Science will offer us redemption from plague, says GEORGE PITCHER – COMMENT
FDA staff have since endorsed it as safe, and a panel of independent experts will meet to discuss the jab further on Thursday.
Should the process go smoothly, emergency approval could follow by Friday.
The first few people could then receive the Moderna vaccine by Monday next week.
Moderna’s development team took advantage of a new project in the US which officials launched to streamline vaccine development.
Operation Warp Speed provided additional funding and assistance in distribution.
Army General Gustave Perna, chief operating officer for Operation Warp Speed, said the project would provide a “constant flow” of vaccines.
He said: “We’re starting our drumbeat of continuous execution of vaccine as it is available.
“We package and we deliver. It is a constant flow of available vaccine.”
Source: Read Full Article