Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine could get UK approval this week

Britain could give regulatory approval to Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine this week, even before the United States authorises it, the Telegraph news site reported on Sunday.

Citing government sources, it said British regulators were about to start a formal appraisal of the vaccine, made by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, and that the National Health Service had been told to be ready to administer it by Dec 1.

The US Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that it would meet on Dec 10 to discuss whether to authorise the vaccine.

Britain formally asked its medical regulator, the MHRA, last week to assess the suitability of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Britain has ordered 40 million doses and expects to have 10 million doses, enough to protect 5 million people, available by the end of the year if regulators approve it.