UK authorises easy-to-handle coronavirus 'vaccine for the world'

LONDON (AP) — Britain authorised an easy-to-handle coronavirus vaccine Wednesday and decided to stretch out the time between doses to allow more people to get some level of protection faster as infections surge.

The first greenlight for the shot dubbed the “vaccine for the world” brought a measure of hope that the pandemic could be brought under control.

The vaccine developed by Oxford University and drugmaker AstraZeneca is expected to be relied on in many countries because of its low cost and the fact that it can be kept in refrigerators rather than at the ultra-cold or freezer temperatures some other vaccines require.

“This wonderful news brings renewed hope at a time of rising infections and unprecedented pressure on health services in the U.K. and beyond. It is now critical that this hope can be shared by all nations,” said Anna Marriot, Health Policy Manager at Oxfam aid agency.

Even as the authorisation was welcomed as a significant development in efforts to contain the virus that has killed nearly 1.8 million, the change in British policy on administering the shots drove home concerns about a new, potentially more contagious variant that authorities blame for rising hospitalisations in Britain.

The new variant has been found in several countries, including the U.S.

Because infections are spreading so rapidly in the U.K., officials are now recommending prioritising delivering a first dose to as many people as possible for both of the vaccines authorised for use in the country: the AstraZeneca one and another from Pfizer-BioNTech.

Officials say both protect people even after just one of the two recommended doses, and that increasing the time between doses might even have a benefit.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.K. have already received at least one shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the rollout of the AstraZeneca one will start Jan. 4.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, which recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use, did not endorse one vaccine over the other.

The regulator also updated its guidance on the Pfizer-BioNTech shot to say that pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding can get it after a consultation with a health professional about the benefits and risks. Previously, the agency had not recommended the shot for pregnant women.

And instead of advising against its use in people with severe allergic reactions to food, other medicines or vaccines, the regulator now says only people with an allergy to ingredients of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine should not get the shot.

Both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines were tested with two doses, given a few weeks apart.

Now, the British government said that for both vaccines it would prioritise giving as many people as possible a single dose, and everyone would get a second shot within 12 weeks of the first.

Britain’s action likely means the World Health Organization could soon clear the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in a global effort to help poor countries, called COVAX.

The initiative has secured access to at least 100 million doses of the vaccine, with options and other deals to buy more. But none can be distributed until greenlighted by WHO.

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