CEPI welcomes UK approval of Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine

Statement from CEO of CEPI, Dr. Richard Hatchett, following the announcement from the UK's temporary authorisation of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine.

"The UK's temporary authorization of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine is a significant milestone in the global fight to control COVID-19, and in the history of vaccine development. "

"Scientific innovation, and a substantial commitment of public and private sector resources, has enabled this vaccine to go from virus sequence to temporary authorization in just 326 days. Its approval today has followed a rigorous assessment against strict safety and efficacy criteria."

"The distribution and use of this vaccine will make a critical contribution to ending the pandemic but of course it has specific cold-chain requirements that will make it challenging to use in many settings. That's why the world urgently needs multiple safe and effective vaccines to defeat COVID-19. It is, therefore, crucial that vaccine development continues at pace."

"CEPI and COVAX are building a large and broad portfolio of vaccine candidates to maximise the global availability of doses and ensure that we can deliver vaccines to all segments of all populations in all geographies. We welcome today's landmark announcement which brings a critical tool into play in humanity's struggle against COVID-19. With such tools, we will overcome this virus and end the pandemic."