Katherine Webster  |  December 3, 2020

Category: Covid-19

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Nurse holding vaccine regarding the COVID-19 vaccine approved in UK

Some U.K. citizens will be receiving a COVID-19 vaccine as early as next week.

The U.K. has become the first to authorize the vaccine made by Pfizer/BioNTech, with British regulators granting emergency authorization for its use, CNN reported. 

“We believe it is really the start of the end of the pandemic,” BioNTech’s CEO Ugur Sahin told CNN on Wednesday. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla called it “a historic moment in the fight against Covid-19.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, though, said people should not get “carried away” with their optimism when it comes to the pandemic because the vaccine does not mean “our struggle is over,” pointing out economic sectors were still struggling, the BBC reported.

However, Health Secretary Matt Hancock was optimistic following the announcement.

“Help is on the way,” he reportedly said Wednesday.

How The UK Became First

With the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) approval of the vaccine made by U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, the U.K. has passed both the United States and European Union in the race to begin vaccinations, according to CNN, becoming the first western nation to approve its use. 

The U.K. had previously tested whether an inhalable version of a coronavirus vaccine would be more effective than a jab.

The MHRA’s review of the pharmaceutical companies’ data began in October, each new set reportedly being reviewed immediately. This gave regulators enough time to examine all data in detail before the companies even submitted their application for final authorization.

A formal review of all information began on 23 Nov.

Chatham House Global Health Programme associate fellow David Salisbury said the MHRA’s approach allowed the regulator to “keep pace.”

“I think the advantage is that the MHRA has been undertaking a rolling review, which means that as Pfizer accumulated data on how they manufactured the vaccine … MHRA could keep pace with that,” he told CNN. 

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has been using a similar approach, beginning its review of Pfizer’s data on 6 Oct.; Pfizer and BioNTech filed their application to complete the review on 1 Dec.

The EMA expects its review will conclude 29 Dec. or earlier, according to CNN.

The companies also applied for emergency authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 20 Nov. The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee meets 10 Dec. to consider the application.

If the FDA grants the authorization, the first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine will reportedly be delivered 15 Dec.

Who Will Get The COVID-19 Vaccine First?

The U.K. government has prioritised the order in which citizens will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to CNN.

The vaccine will be distributed in the following order:Senior getting COVID-19 vaccine regarding UK approval

  • Residents and care homes and their caregivers
  • People 80 and older, as well as front-line health care and social care workers
  • People 75 and older
  • People 70 and older, in addition to those who are extremely vulnerable clinically
  • People 65 and older
  • Anyone age 16 to 64 with an underlying health condition that puts them at high risk of serious disease or mortality
  • People 60 and older 
  • People 55 and older
  • People 50 and older

More information on these groups is available on the government’s website.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced those living in Scotland could begin receiving the vaccine as early as 8 Dec., the BBC reported.

“Today does feel like it may well be the beginning of the end of this horrible experience,” she said.

The vaccine could come to Northern Ireland a day later, on 9 Dec., according to the BBC.

The first of the vaccinations in Northern Ireland had been scheduled to begin 14 Dec., Health Minister Robin Swann said that could “come forward by a few days.”

The vaccine is expected to be available in Wales in a few days.

According to CNN, the U.K. has ordered 40 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine. With each vaccination requiring two doses, that means there will be enough for 20 million people to be vaccinated.

How Can I Get The COVID-19 Vaccine?

People will be informed, likely via letter, when it is their turn to book an appointment to receive the vaccine, according to a BBC report.

Hospitals and more than 1,000 surgeries in England will serve as vaccination centers, while stadiums and conference centres will serve as major hubs.

To help with the effort, the National Health Service (NHS) will reportedly be training 30,000 volunteers, such as airline staff and lifeguards, to give the vaccine injections. 

Is It Safe?

According to the BBC, there is no evidence that any of the ingredients in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can cause harm in such a small amount.

While some people’s bodies respond to vaccination with symptoms such as muscle aches or low-grade fever, the vaccine itself does not give people an illness; rather, it teaches the body’s immune system to recognize and fight a specific disease.

Allergic reactions are rare, the BBC reported.

This is not the disease itself, but the body’s response to the vaccine.

Sir Munir Pirmohamed, an MHRA advisor, told the BBC no serious reactions to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine surfaced during trials.

“Most of the adverse effects were mild and short-lasting, usually lasting for a day or two, similar to the kind of effects you get after any other vaccine,” he said.

Do you plan on getting the COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you? Let us know in the comments below.

Check back daily for the most recent U.K. class action lawsuit and consumer protection news.

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. By submitting your comment and contact information, you agree to receive marketing emails from Top Class Actions regarding this and/or similar lawsuits or settlements, and/or to be contacted by an attorney or law firm to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you if you qualify. Required fields are marked *

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.