Britain is the first in the world to begin vaccination against COVID-19

The UK has approved a COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. It is the first country in the world to approve a vaccine for widespread use. The British will get vaccinated from next week. Details told the publication with the BBC.

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Britain ordered the first batch of 40 million doses for 20 million people (2 injections each). The first to receive the vaccine will be elderly people and wards of closed institutions.

The vaccine Pfizer and BioNTech have demonstrated up to 95% efficiency.

This vaccine has become a kind of record holder. She went from concept to approval for widespread use in just 10 months. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this process usually took an average of 10 years.

“Help is on the way,” British Health Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted.

“I am absolutely confident that with this development of events in the spring, from Easter onwards, life will begin to get better, and we will all be able to enjoy the next summer,” he said.

On the subject: US COVID-19 Vaccination Coming Soon: Doctors Warn Of Side Effects

Sir Simon Stevens, head of the UK's National Insurance System (NHS), said his colleagues are preparing for the largest vaccination campaign in the country's history.

Hospitals across the country prepared to start vaccinations. About 50 institutions will receive and vaccinate Britons. In addition, some conference rooms and business centers will also serve as vaccination points for the population.

At the same time, representatives of the health care industry note that compliance with precautions has never been more necessary. Indeed, on the eve of vaccination, many people will appear on the streets who are at risk of contracting COVID-19.

They also emphasize that the emergence of a vaccine should not give the impression that the danger no longer exists. It is still necessary to follow the rules of social distancing and wear masks.

What is this vaccine

The vaccine is a joint development of two pharmaceutical giants - the American company Pfizer and the German BioNTech.

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It belongs to the category of a new type of mRNA vaccine and contains a fragment of the genetic code of the virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic.

In clinical trials, it was found that it is equally well tolerated by people of different ages and ethnic backgrounds. The tests were attended by 41 thousand people in different countries of the world. Of these, 41% were from the 56 to 85 age group.

Each received two injections with a break of three weeks. The vaccine did not cause serious side effects in any of the volunteers, but about 2% reported headaches and fatigue.

For a comparison of major vaccine applicants, see our material.

The efficiency of 95% is due to the fact, the developers note, that 170 participants in clinical trials still contracted the coronavirus, but only 8 of them managed to receive the full amount of the required dose.

In the vast majority of cases, immunity to coronavirus occurs 7 days after taking the second dose. In rare cases, with strong own immunity - on the 12th day after the first dose.

The vaccine will be mass produced in Belgium. For her storage and transportation requires a temperature of -70 ° C... During transportation, special boxes with dry ice briquettes will be used. After delivery, the ampoules can be stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.

In the USA in Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are in the process of FDA approval... Decisions on them are promised to be made on December 10 and 17, respectively. Until the end of 2020, the US government promises to vaccinate 20 million Americans.

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