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Britain OKs vaccine by Oxford-AstraZeneca

Published:Wednesday | December 30, 2020 | 9:43 AM
Health Secretary Matt Hancock wears a face mask to curb the spread of COVID-19 and gives a thumbs-up as he leaves Millbank in Westminster, central London, after the news that a COVID-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca has been approved for use in Britain, Wednesday, December 30, 2020. (Steve Parsons/PA via AP)

LONDON — Britain has authorised the use of a second COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the first country to greenlight an easy-to-handle shot that its developers hope will become the “vaccine for the world.”

The government says the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has made an emergency authorisation for the vaccine developed by Oxford University and UK-based drugmaker AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot says “today is an important day for millions of people in the UK who will get access to this new vaccine.

It has been shown to be effective, well-tolerated, simple to administer, and is supplied by AstraZeneca at no profit.”

Britain has purchased 100 million doses of the vaccine. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News the “rollout will start on January 4” and will “accelerate into the first few weeks of next year.”

Hundreds of thousands in the UK have already received the vaccine made by US drugmaker Pfizer and German firm BioNTech.

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