Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine Is Cleared for Use by EU Drug Agency

The Wall Street Journal reports that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has cleared Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for use in Europe, declaring it safe and effective against the virus. Distribution could start next week, following administrative protocols needed to coordinate a launch across 27 member states. The European Union (EU) also is facing a new strain of COVID-19 in Britain, which has spurred many countries to ban passenger flights from that country to prevent the spread of the more infectious variant. Health officials say a vaccine rollout to 450 million Europeans will take months, at the very least, with supplies of the vaccine limited. The EMA's decision now requires clearance by the European Commission, which must first survey all 27 EU members. Authorities do not expect certain countries to begin vaccination until Dec. 29 as procedural and logistical issues are addressed. The EU has ordered 300 million doses over the next year, enough to immunize up to 150 million people, and has lined up another 160 million shots of Moderna's double-dose vaccine. If the EMA approves it, EU states expect sufficient doses over the next several months to cover most healthcare workers and the very old.