The UK government has authorised the emergency use of a new vaccine for the prevention of Covid-19 from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE – the first approval of a pharmaceutical product based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. The decision, announced on 2 December, was based on a recommendation of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the independent regulator. It follows the publication of Phase 3 data for the vaccine showing that it achieved an efficacy rate of 95%. The efficacy rate applies to trial participants without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection.
