Pfizer vaccine: British doctor says, 'remarkable' achievement as UK begins mass vaccination
"This is the most incredible. It has been the fastest, most remarkable piece of work," said Dr Nikita Kanani, a medical director at NHS England.
As Britain begins mass vaccination process on Tuesday, a British doctor said that having a vaccine ready less than a year after treating the first patient with COVID-19 has been a 'remarkable' achievement.
"This is the most incredible. It has been the fastest, most remarkable piece of work," said Dr. Nikita Kanani, a medical director for primary care at NHS England as vaccinations began, adding that she felt emotional.
Health workers started inoculating the most vulnerable with the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. The Pfizer vaccine that must be stored at -70C, is a test case for the rest of the world.
Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old grandmother from Northern Ireland, became the first person in the world on Tuesday to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine shot outside of a trial as Britain began vaccinating its population.
Keenan received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a local hospital in Coventry, central England, on Tuesday. In Newcastle, married couple Hari and Ranjan Shukla were among the first to receive their vaccinations.
"I feel happy that I've been able to contribute a little," said Hari as he and Ranjan posed for photographs after getting their jabs, wearing stickers to show they had been vaccinated.
The launch of the vaccine, one of three shots that have reported successful results from large trials, will fuel hope that the world may be turning a corner in the fight against a pandemic that has killed more than 1.5 million people.
Britain, the worst-hit in Europe with over 61,000 deaths, is the first Western nation to begin mass vaccinations and the first globally to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech shot.
Meanwhile, US regulators have confirmed the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine is 95 per cent effective, paving the way for it to be approved for emergency use.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found no safety concerns to stop approval of the vaccine, even as UK starts its mass vaccination process.
The US regulators are yet to approve the vaccine. The FDA will meet on Thursday to make a formal decision. The UK's regulatory body, the MHRA, approved the vaccine last week.