LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 13: Shipments of the Pfizer And BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are loaded into a UPS plane at the Capital Region International Airport on December 13, 2020 in Lansing, Michigan. The first doses of the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine will be distributed to all 50 states. Rey Del Rio/Getty Images/AFP
European Union countries including Germany, France, Austria and Italy have said they plan to start vaccinations from December 27 as Europe tries to catch up with the United States and Britain, where inoculations began earlier this month.
Europe’s medicines regulator on Monday approved the use of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. company Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, putting the EU on course to start inoculations just after Christmas.
European Union countries including Germany, France, Austria and Italy have said they plan to start vaccinations from Dec. 27 as Europe tries to catch up with the United States and Britain, where inoculations began earlier this month.
Having gained the green light from the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the final step is approval by the European Commission, expected later on Monday.
“Now we will act fast. I expect a European Commission decision by this evening,” Commission head Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.