The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has today granted a license to Pfizer/BioNTech for its vaccine against Covid-19 to be rolled out in the UK. Mass immunisation through the approved vaccine is to begin next week for those in the highest risk categories.
The vaccine has been authorised in the UK ahead of Europe the US. The MHRA was handed special emergency powers to approve the vaccine by the government. The new powers are being granted under special regulations ahead of 1 January, when it becomes fully responsible for medicines authorisation in the UK after Brexit.
Arrival and distribution in the UK is now expected within days with delivery of 40 million vaccine doses on order from the UK Government.
Health secretary, Matt Hancock, has said that he expects 800,000 doses to be available as early as next week. He did note that the temperature at which the vaccine needs to be kept, -70 degrees Celsius would be a challenge. Details of cryogenic storage facilities within the NHS and other distribution and logistics partners were unclear.
Similar to the setting up Nightingale hospitals, new vaccine centres are now being planned to aid distribution and vaccination.
People working on the front line and the elderly are expected to be at the front of the queue for vaccination.
The news of a vaccine will be celebrated across the UK and hospitality businesses are expected to lead them. But for most opening up today will still be the priority and getting some semblance of Christmas trading underway.
The news of the vaccine is a boost everyone needed.
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Hospitality & Catering News: Covid-19 vaccinations start next week – 2 December 2020 – Covid-19 vaccinations start next week.
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