The first vaccines should be given to the elderly and vulnerable. (Representative)
London:
One of the UK’s top medical officials has indicated that a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready for deployment by the start of the new year, according to a media report on Sunday.
Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy medical director and one of the government advisers on the coronavirus pandemic, has reportedly told MPs the vaccine created at the University of Oxford and manufactured by AstraZeneca may be ready to go deployed shortly after Christmas. in December.
In India, the vaccine is linked by the Indian Serum Institute as it undergoes testing.
“We are not light years away. It is not a totally unrealistic suggestion that we could roll out a vaccine soon after Christmas. It would have a significant impact on hospital admissions and deaths,” Van said. Tam according to the Sunday Times. tell MPs at a briefing last week.
An MP who attended another briefing with Van-Tam told the newspaper the doctor was “very optimistic about the results of the third stage of AstraZeneca, which he expects between the end of this month and the end of the next. “.
Van-Tam expects him to protect the elderly and vulnerable. He has made it clear to us that he has stopped the ‘spread’ of the virus among young people. He said he would expect that the vaccination starts in January, ”said the MP.
It comes as the UK government introduced new laws on Friday that would allow more healthcare workers to administer flu shots and potential COVID-19 vaccines.
“COVID-19 vaccines are being developed at a rate that, if successful, will save lives,” Van-Tam said, referring to the new rules.
“All vaccines must undergo three stages of clinical trials and be evaluated for safety and efficacy by the regulator before being administered to patients. The measures outlined today aim to improve access and strengthen existing safeguards. protecting patients, ”he said.
The Department of Health and Social Affairs (DHSC) said the new measures would increase access to vaccines against life-threatening diseases and also support the government’s plans for the deployment of a potential COVID-19 vaccine that will is proven to be safe and effective. through robust clinical trials approved for use by the regulator.
“The National Health Service (NHS) has a wealth of experience in immunizing millions of people against disease every year,” said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
“These legal changes will help us do all we can to ensure that we are ready to deploy a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine once it has passed clinical trials and undergone rigorous checks by the regulator,” said he declared.
The aim is to increase the number of healthcare professionals fully trained and experienced to administer COVID-19 and influenza vaccines under the NHS and local authority occupational health schemes, as well as to enable to a larger workforce capable of delivering these vaccines to the public. This will make it easier and faster for patients and healthcare workers to access the vaccines they need, protecting them against deadly diseases, the DHSC said.
Therefore, if a vaccine is developed before 2021, changes to the Human Medicine Regulation will strengthen existing powers that allow the UK Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorize temporary supply. for any treatment or vaccine necessary to respond to a public health problem. need.
This means that if a vaccine meets the safety, quality and efficacy standards of the MHRA, then vaccinations can begin without having to wait for the European Medicines Agency which – until the end of the transition period on December 31 of this year – would have been the only body capable of issuing a license.
Dr Christian Schneider, Acting Scientific Director of the MHRA, said: “No vaccine will be deployed unless strict standards have been met as part of a comprehensive clinical trials program.
“The preferred route to allow the deployment of any new vaccine remains through the usual product approval processes. But strengthened safeguards are now in place to strengthen the regulatory regime and our ability to protect public health, if temporary authorizations are granted. are necessary.”
The first vaccines should be given to the elderly and vulnerable, followed by the vaccination of others at greater risk. Any population-wide deployment should be a much longer-term process.
(This story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
