UK approves Pfizer vaccine for use outside trials

The United Kingdom became the first nation to approve the COVID-19 vaccine from drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech on Wednesday, making the treatment available across the UK starting next week.

The move comes just weeks after Pfizer announced the conclusion of its Phase 3 trial, where results suggested the vaccine is 95 percent effective at protecting against infection.

The UK Department of Health and Social Care accepted the recommendation to approve the vaccine from the nation's drug regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

"This follows months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA who have concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness," a department spokesperson said.

The UK's Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations will soon publish its advice for priority groups to receive the first vaccines, which are likely to include care home residents, health service and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

"The vaccine will be made available across the UK from next week," the spokesperson said. "The (National Health Service) has decades of experience in delivering large-scale vaccination programs and will begin putting their extensive preparations into action to provide care and support to all those eligible for vaccination."