UK secures contract for 90 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines
The UK will be the first country to sign an early access agreement with many pharmaceutical firms for COVID-19 vaccines. The first is for 30 million doses, for BioNTech and Pfizer. The second contract is with French company Valneva, for 60 million doses. Which are in addition to the 100 million doses AstraZeneca is producing of the Oxford University vaccine.
The government argues that the arrangements will guarantee that the UK has the greatest chance to protect those at risk-if the vaccines succeed.
The figure includes 30 million doses of a vaccine being produced by BioNTech and Pfizer, the first deal that the two firms reached with any nation. The vaccine entered trials in Phase 2.
The second contract is, in theory, an arrangement for 60 million doses of a vaccine being produced by Valneva, with an option to get an additional 40 million doses of this vaccine is proved to be safe, efficient, and necessary.
Company Secretary Alok Sharma said the agreements “would ensure that the UK has the best possible chance of obtaining a vaccine that will protect those at greatest risk.”
His counterpart in the cabinet, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, said a vaccine for Sky News is “the easiest and fastest way out of this crisis.”
Mr. Williamson said to Kay Burley@Breakfast: “It’s right for the government to invest to put these orders for those vaccinations, and we have a variety of choices.
“And we are one of the countries that are better positioned to be able to deliver a wide variety of vaccines that will secure this nation for the future as we recover from this pandemic.”
The Government has obtained access to the following future vaccines are:
A vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca, which was the first to launch phase 3 trials in May. AstraZeneca will manufacture 100 million doses for the UK
Imperial College London’s mRNA vaccine which started human trials in June
The government has now gained access to 3 different types of COVID-19 vaccines that are being produced here and across the world with today’s announcement, giving the UK the most possible chance of having access to a safe and reliable vaccine at the fastest pace.
The NHS COVID-19 vaccine research registry was also launched today by the Government. A new website will encourage people in the UK to volunteer for potential vaccine trials and play their part in this.
The new online service will allow members of the public to register their interest in clinical trials and to be contacted for participation. The aim is to have 500,000 people signed up by October, which is considered crucial in the battle against coronavirus to enable large-scale vaccine trials to take place in the UK.
Clinical trials involving hundreds of thousands of participants will help scientists and researchers better understand each vaccine candidate ‘s efficacy, which will greatly improve efforts to find a safe which workable vaccine.
The government is also partnering with ZOE, the health science company using data-driven analysis and behind the common app and platform for the study of symptoms, to look at collaborating around vaccination trials and to help their volunteers learn about how to sign up to the NHS register.
