By Emmanuel Elebeke
The Government of the United Kingdom says it has authorized the second COVID-19 vaccine for use in the UK, allowing a significant expansion of the immunisation programme with hundreds of more vaccination sites opening in the coming weeks and months to protect those most at risk from the virus.
A statement from the Press and Public Affairs Officer, British Deputy High Commission, Lagos said the UK regulator has accepted the recommendation of the Commission on Human Medicines and authorised the Oxford University/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, following months of rigorous clinical trials involving tens of thousands of people and an extensive analysis of the vaccine’s safety, quality and effectiveness by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The vaccine is said to be highly effective in preventing disease, including in the elderly, and said that vaccinations will begin from next week.
The UK was the first in the world to sign an agreement with Oxford University/AstraZeneca, securing access to 100 million doses of the vaccine on behalf of the whole of the UK, crown dependencies and overseas territories.
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According to the statement, hundreds of thousands of doses are available from Monday 4 January with more to be delivered over the coming weeks and months so that, alongside the existing Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the UK’s vaccination programme can continue its steady expansion over the first part of next year.
The vaccine, which was backed by significant government funding, will be available for free across the UK and the government is working with the devolved administrations to ensure it is deployed fairly across the UK.
UK Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said: “The approval of the Oxford vaccine is a massive step forward in our fight against coronavirus. It is a tribute to the incredible UK scientists at Oxford University and AstraZeneca whose breakthrough will help to save lives around the world. The light at the end of the tunnel just got brighter.
“Vaccines are the exit route from the pandemic. We have already vaccinated hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people and the new Oxford jab will allow us to accelerate our vaccination plan, allowing us to return to normality in the future.
“This is a moment to celebrate British innovation – not only are we responsible for discovering the first treatment to reduce mortality for Covid-19, but this vaccine will also be made available to some of the poorest regions of the world at a low cost, helping protect countless people from this awful disease.
“I want to thank every single person who has been part of this British success story. While it is a time to be hopeful, it is so vital everyone continues to play their part to drive down infections.”
In line with the recommendations of the JCVI, it said the vaccine will be rolled out to the priority groups including care home residents and staff, people over 80 and health and care workers, then to the rest of the population in order of age and risk, including those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
The vaccine can be stored at fridge temperatures, between two to eight degrees, making it easier to distribute to care homes and other locations across the UK.
The NHS has decades of experience in rolling out successful widespread vaccination programmes and will now begin to implement extensive preparations for the roll-out of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
On his part, Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “The Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine is a great British success story, involving our very best minds at every stage across every part of the UK. As a result of significant government investment, not only has the vaccine been developed on home turf, but we have built a robust supply chain across the country to ensure the UK will be the first in the world to receive this vaccine.
“Thanks to the determination and sheer ingenuity of our incredible scientists, this vaccine will save very many lives at home and protect those in some of the world’s poorest nations, helping to bring this global pandemic to an end.
“From our researchers and manufacturers to the thousands of trial volunteers and NHS staff who’ll administer this life-saving vaccine to those most in need, your country owes you an enormous debt of gratitude. Your unwavering spirit will go down in history.”
The MHRA started the rolling review of Oxford/AstraZeneca’s data in September and the government asked the regulator to assess the vaccine for its suitability for authorisation under Regulation 174 of the Human Medicines Regulations, enabling the temporary supply of medicines to be authorised in response to a public health need, which the regulator has recommended.
The vaccine will be deployed through similar methods as the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, including hospital hubs for NHS and care staff and older patients to get vaccinated; local community services with local teams and GPs already signing up to take part in the programme; vaccination centres across the country, ensuring people can access a vaccine regardless of where they live.
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In 2016, the UK Vaccine Network provided funding to support Oxford University to develop a vaccine for MERS. This vaccine technology was rapidly repurposed to develop a Covid-19 vaccine using initial funding from a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) research call launched in February.
In April the Government announced £20 million of further funding so that the Oxford clinical trials could commence immediately. Since then the government has bought 100 million doses of the final vaccine product via further investment.
The UK government is making every effort to increase the UK’s vaccine manufacturing capability to ensure vaccines are widely available to the public. As a result, the vaccine is being made in Oxfordshire and Staffordshire, with filling into vials at sites in North Wales. From the end of 2021, the UK will have two new permanent manufacturing sites each with the capability to manufacture tens of millions of doses within six months.
Chief Medical Officer for England and co-lead of the National Institute for Health Research, Professor Chris Whitty, said: “It is very good news that the independent regulator has now authorised for use the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
“There has been a considerable collective effort that has brought us to this point. The dedication and hard work of scientists, regulators and those who funded the research, such as the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) and United Kingdom Vaccine Network (UKVN), and the willingness and selflessness of so many volunteers who took part in the vaccine trials were essential in delivering this safe and effective vaccine. They deserve our recognition and thanks.”
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