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Today the UK effectively restricted use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine to people aged 30 and over because of the risk of a rare blood clot syndrome. But other European countries and Canada have broader restrictions, with higher age cut-offs. Why are the regulations different, and what are the implications for vaccine roll-out in the UK?
What are the safety concerns over the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine?
UK and European medicines regulators have been reviewing a small number of people who developed blood clots linked with low levels of platelets – small particles in the blood that normally help in clotting – soon after having the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Both have now concluded that they are possibly caused by the vaccine, although they say the benefits of vaccination for most people outweigh the risks of catching covid-19.
Jan 09 2021 Read 345 Times
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has announced approval (Jan 10) for Moderna’s RNA vaccine against COVID-19 for use under Regulation 174. The temporary authorisation permits the supply of COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna in Great Britain and is based upon the advice of the UK Commission on Human Medicines. “We appreciate the confidence shown by the UK MHRA in COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna with this decision, which marks an important step forward in the global fight against COVID-19,” Stéphane Bancel said. “I want to thank the MHRA and the Commission on Human Medicines’ reviewers for their tireless efforts. The authorisation of a product developed by Moderna is a significant milestone on the Company’s 10-year journey and I would like to thank all our colleagues that have helped us get to this point.”
Press release content from Business Wire. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation.
United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Authorizes Use of COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna
January 8, 2021 GMT
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (BUSINESS WIRE) Jan 8, 2021
Moderna, Inc. (Nasdaq: MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, today announced that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved its mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 (COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna) for use under Regulation 174. The temporary authorization permits the supply of COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna in Great Britain and is based upon the advice of the UK Commission on Human Medicines.
The UK has become the first country to authorise the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for public use, with roll-out to start in the first week of 2021. This vaccine is the second to be authorised in the UK - following the Pfizer vaccine.
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The British government has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, enough to vaccinate 50 million people. Other countries will be watching closely: Australia has ordered over 50 million doses, Canada 20 million, and worldwide over 2.5 billion doses have been preordered. AstraZeneca expects to be able to supply large numbers of doses within the first quarter of 2021.
The UK has become the first country to authorise the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for public use, with roll-out to start in the first week of 2021. This vaccine is the second to be authorised in the UK – following the Pfizer vaccine.