Brussels authorises Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

The European Union (EU) has licensed Pfizer-BioNTech's anti-VID vaccine. This Monday Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, confirmed the authorisation of the vaccine after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave the green light. They confirm that it is safe and effective against COVID-19.

This will allow the vaccination campaigns to be launched on 27 December, with the distribution of doses starting these days in Belgium. "I always said during this pandemic that we are in this together," said Ursula von der Leyen, who confirmed that it will be available in all EU countries at the same time.

"Today we are adding an important chapter in our fight against COVID-19, we have taken the decision to put the first COVID-19 vaccine at the service of European citizens", the President informed this Monday through a communication from the European Commission. "We are securing authorisations under market conditions for the vaccine produced by BioNTech and Pfizer", she said.

This will be the first vaccine, but more will be approved if they are considered effective and safe. On January 6, EMA specialists are expected to finish evaluating the one developed by Modern Pharmaceuticals. It also promises to help secure the vaccine for the rest of the world, while the vaccines are being distributed to Europeans.

Von der Leyen is proud that the first COVID-19 vaccine in Europe is a product of European innovation. BioNTech has received more than 9 million euros of European Union funds over the last decade to develop these revolutionary technologies. "This is a real European success story", concluded the President.

After announcing the green light for the drug at a press conference in Amsterdam, the Executive Director of the EMA, Emer Cooke, said that "it is a historic scientific achievement that in less than a year a vaccine against a new disease has been achieved".

It is expected that over the next year, immunity to the virus will be achieved for a large part of the population of the European Union. It will be used in people over 16 years of age and will be administered in two doses, with 21 days between each dose.