Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pfizer Vaccine Approved For Use In EU
The New York Times: E.U. Agency Approves Pfizer Covid Vaccine
From Stockholm to Athens and from Lisbon to Warsaw, European Union governments are gearing up to receive a coronavirus vaccine later this week, even as cases keep rising in some parts of the continent. The bloc formally approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Monday, setting off a logistical marathon the likes of which most of the authorities in the region have not had to contend with before. (Stevis-Gridneff, 12/21)
NPR: EU Regulator Clears Way For Use Of Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine
"Our thorough evaluation means that we can confidently assure EU citizens of the safety and efficacy of this vaccine and that it meets necessary quality standards," Emer Cooke, executive director of the European Medicines Agency, said in a statement. The European regulator is recommending the use of the vaccine in people 16 or older as U.S. federal officials did earlier this month. The U.K., no longer a member of the EU, is also already carrying out inoculations with the Pfizer vaccine. (Kennedy and Wamsley, 12/21)
AP: EU Greenlights COVID-19 Vaccine After Agency Gives Safety OK
Deliveries of the vaccine are expected to start this coming Saturday, with inoculations beginning across the EU between Dec. 27 and Dec. 29. Health care workers and other high-risk populations already have started receiving the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine in Britain and the United States, prompting pressure from European governments for EU regulators to act more quickly than they originally planned. (Jordans and Cook, 12/21)
The Hill: EU Drug Regulator Approves Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
The EMA’s approval will allow the 27 EU member nations as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to get access to vaccinations starting between Dec. 27 and 29. Countries including Germany, France, Austria and Italy said they intend to start vaccinations Dec. 27, Reuters reported. (Coleman, 12/21)
