As Britons, Americans and Canadians begin getting immunised with a German-developed vaccine against coronavirus, pressure is building on the European Medicines Agency to approve the jab.
German officials have been especially vocal – given the involvement of Mainz-based BioNTech alongside US firm Pfizer – that they want it approved before Christmas.
Here is a look at the EMA approval process.
Sandra Lindsay (left), a nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Centre in New York, is inoculated with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (Mark Lennihan/Pool/AP)
– What is the European Medicines Agency (EMA)?
The EMA is Europe’s medicines regulatory agency and approves new treatments and vaccines for all 27 countries across the European Union.
.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ....
BERLIN Facing strong pressure from Germany and other European Union nations, the bloc’s medicines agency on Tuesday moved up a meeting to assess the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to Dec. 21, likely bringing vaccinations a step closer for millions of EU citizens.
The agency said it made the decision after receiving additional data from the vaccine makers. The announcement came after Germany’s health minister and others had publicly demanded that the agency move quicker than its previously planned Dec. 29 meeting at which it was to discuss approving the vaccine.
The vaccine is already being given daily to thousands of people in Britain, Canada and the United States, galling some Europeans who note that BioNTech is a Germany company.
AMSTERDAM As Canadians, Britons and Americans begin getting immunized with a German-developed vaccine against coronavirus, pressure is building on the European Medicines Agency to approve the shot made by Pfizer Inc. and the German company BioNTech. German officials have been especially vocal that they want it approved before Christmas. Here s a look at the EMA approval process: WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN MEDICINES AGENCY? The EMA is Europe s medicines regulatory agency and approves new treatments and vaccines for all 27 countries across the European Union. It is roughly comparable to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency is headquartered in Amsterdam and it has nearly 900 employees.
Why is Europe taking so long to approve the COVID vaccine?
Updated Dec 15, 2020;
Posted Dec 15, 2020
STRATFORD, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 15: Professor Martin Marshall, Chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners Council, administers a Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic at the Sir Ludwig Guttmann Health and Wellbeing Centre on December 15, 2020 in Stratford, England. After rolling out the vaccine to dozens of hub hospitals last week, the NHS is now enlisting several hundred primary care practices in its covid-19 vaccination campaign. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)Getty Images
Facebook Share
As Canadians, Britons and Americans begin getting immunized with a German-developed vaccine against coronavirus, pressure is building on the European Medicines Agency to approve the shot made by Pfizer Inc. and the German company BioNTech. German officials have been especially vocal that they want it approved before Christmas. Here’s a look at the EMA approv
German officials have been especially vocal that they want it approved before Christmas.
Share Via Email
| A+A A-
A nurse holds a phial of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Guy s Hospital in London. (Photo | AP) By Associated Press
AMSTERDAM: As Canadians, Britons and Americans begin getting immunized with a German-developed vaccine against coronavirus, pressure is building on the European Medicines Agency to approve the shot made by Pfizer Inc. and the German company BioNTech. German officials have been especially vocal that they want it approved before Christmas. Here s a look at the EMA approval process:
WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN MEDICINES AGENCY?