UK Defends Fast Pace Of Covid Vaccine Approval

London, Dec 4 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Dec, 2020 ) :Britain insisted on Friday its world-first approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine met all safety standards, after officials in Europe and the United States queried the rapid process.

The UK's regulator gave emergency approval on Wednesday for the vaccine and the government plans to start rolling it out next week.

Any vaccine "must undergo robust clinical trials in line with international standards", the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in a statement.

"No vaccine would be authorised for supply in the UK unless the expected standards of safety, quality and efficacy are met." Leading US infectious disease scientist Anthony Fauci said on Thursday the MHRA had rushed approval, but he later apologised.

"I have a great deal of confidence in what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint," Fauci told the BBC.

"Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in the UK. And that's just the reality," he said. "I did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way." Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesman welcomed Fauci's reversal, noted that the MHRA had already said "no corners had been cut" in vetting the vaccine.

"We've been absolutely clear on the safety of the vaccine given the rigorous standards it has gone through as part of the MHRA process," the spokesman told reporters.

The UK regulator obtained an exemption from the EU's medicines agency, which has stressed it prefers to wait for further review and consultations across the 27-nation bloc.

Britain plans to distribute an initial batch of 800,000 doses starting next week, prioritising care homes, and has deployed scientists to counter any disinformation.