UK starts roll-out of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
London: Britain will start rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech on Tuesday, the first Western country to start vaccinating its general population in what was hailed as a decisive watershed in defeating the coronavirus.
The mass inoculation will fuel hope that the world may be turning a corner in the fight against a pandemic that has crushed economies and killed more than 1.5 million, although ultra-cold storage and tricky logistics will limit its use for now.
Britain is the worst-hit European country from COVID-19, with over 61,000 deaths, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes to turn the tide against the disease by rolling out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine before the United States or European Union.
Britain approved the vaccine for emergency use less than a week ago, and is rolling it out through its National Health Service (NHS).
"The deployment of this vaccine marks a decisive turning point in the battle with the pandemic," said NHS chief executive Simon Stevens. "NHS staff are proud to be leading the way as the first health service in the world to begin vaccination with this COVID jab"
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