The UK is expected to approve the coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca within a few days, local newspapers reported.
Ministers are drafting plans to start vaccinating the public with the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine from January 4, the Sunday Telegraph reported, adding that “mass vaccination centers in sports stadiums and conference venues” could be launched now on second week of January.
The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine still needs approval from the UK regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The Sunday Times, citing unidentified government officials, said the MHRA should give the green light before Thursday, while the Telegraph said the vaccine would be approved on December 28 or 29.
In response to the reports, a spokeswoman for the UK Department of Health told Reuters: “We must now give MHRA time to do its important work and we must wait for its advice.”
According to the Telegraph, the government wants 2 million people to receive the Oxford vaccine or the BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine – which is already being administered in the UK – in two weeks.
The government’s efforts to intensify its vaccination campaign come at a time when the country is struggling to contain a new, highly transmissible strain of the virus. Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca, told the Sunday Times that while “we think the vaccine should remain effective” against the new strain, “we can’t be sure, so let’s try it out”.
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