Pfizer’s 95% effective Covid vaccine could get UK green light ‘by end of week’

Reports suggest the vaccine could be signed off by UK regulators as early as this week (Picture: Reuters/EPA)

Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine could be given the green light for distribution across the UK by the end of this week, reports claim.

The UK regulator is reportedly about to open its formal appraisal into the jab, which has been declared 95% effective by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and BionNTech SE.

A Government source told The Telegraph on Sunday that in a ‘best case scenario’ the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), could sign off on the vaccine in less than a week.

It added that NHS staff have been told to prepare to administer doses for those most at risk from the virus by December 1.

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Britons could also receive the vaccine before their American counterparts, reported the newspaper, as the US’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not scheduled to meet until December 10 to discuss the jab.

Last week, Britain formally asked the MHRA to assess the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after officials put 40 million doses on order.

The vaccine has been hailed as at least 95% effective (Picture: Getty)

If it is approved, the UK expects to receive 10 million doses by the end of the year. This would be enough to vaccinate 5 million people as two doses are needed per person.

It comes as a vaccine produced by the University of Oxford has been found to offer 70% protection, following a large scale trial.

The news could come as a disappointment for UK officials, as it puts Pfizer and Moderna’s candidates in the lead in the global race to find the world’s first safe and effective vaccine.

However, Oxford’s candidate is cheaper and easier to store, meaning it will be easier to distribute globally. The UK pre-ordered 100 million doses – enough to immunise 50 million Britons.

Pfizer’s vaccine was hailed a ‘scientific breakthrough’ after announcing it was 90% effective at preventing infection – but later raised its figure to 95% bringing it almost level with Moderna’s candidate.

The Pfizer jab could be signed off by the end of this week if the MHRA approves it (Picture: AFP)

The jab has been tested on 43,500 people in six countries and no safety concerns have been raised – but around 2% of participants suffered a headache and fatigue.

The Department of Health did not comment on when the first doses of the Pfizer vaccination would be administered.

A spokesman said the authorisation process by the MHRA is independent of the Government and will take as long as they need to review the final data from Pfizer.

He added: ‘An enormous amount of planning has taken place to ensure our health service stands ready to roll out a Covid-19 vaccine.’

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