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EU gives conditional approval to vaccine

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
Published date22 December 2020
Date22 December 2020
Following a closed-doors expert meeting, the EU drug regulator said it was recommending the shot be licensed for use in people over 16 years of age, with some exceptions.

The pharmaceutical companies will need to submit follow-up data on their vaccine for the next year.

"This is really a historic scientific achievement," said Emer Cooke, the head of the agency.

"It is a significant step forward in our fight against the pandemic."

The approval needs to be rubberstamped by the EU's executive branch, a move its chief said was likely to happen last night.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that the EMA's approval was "a decisive moment in our efforts to deliver safe and effective vaccines to Europeans!"

She added: "Now we will act fast. I expect a @EU-Commission decision by this evening."

The EU's executive arm had been expected to require two or three days to approve the EMA's decision.

Authorities in Germany and several other European countries have said they hope to begin vaccinating people on December 27.

"Today is a particularly personal and emotional day for us at BIONTech," said Ugur Sahin, the company's chief executive and co-founder.

"Being in the heart of the EU, we are thrilled to be one...

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