COVID-19: UK approves use of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, all eyes on India now

In a significant development, Britain on Wednesday (December 30) approved Oxford-Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine for use against COVID-19. The UK government took the decision at a time when the country is battling a new, highly contagious variant of COVID-19.

"The government has today accepted the recommendation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorise Oxford University/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine for use," the Health Ministry said.

"Authorisation recommends 2 doses administered with an interval of b/w 4 and 12 weeks. This regimen was shown in clinical trials to be safe & effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, with no severe cases & no hospitalisations more than 14 days after second dose," AstraZeneca said in a statement.

The approval by UK government is a good news for India because as per sources, the government was waiting for this approval and it is expected that Indian regulators would call SEC meet soon and reconsider the data and approve AstraZeneca vaccine for its use in India.

Meanwhile, the Indian government on Wednesday extended the temporary suspension of flights to and from the United Kingdom till 7 January 2021 after several returnees from the country tested positive for the new coronavirus strain that has triggered panic across the globe.

This was announced by Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. “A decision has been taken to extend the temporary suspension of flights to & from the United Kingdom till 7 January 2021,” said the Union Civil Aviation Minister.

''Thereafter strictly regulated resumption will take place for which details will be announced shortly,'' the Minister added.

A total of 20 UK returnees to India have tested positive for the new ‘more infectious’ strain of COVID-19 so far. 6 people had tested positive for the new COVID-19 strain on Monday.