THE HEAD of the medicines regulator in the UK has reassured the public that "safety is our watchword" as the country became the first in the world to approve a vaccine against coronavirus.
The Pfizer jab is expected to be rolled out from next week, with care home residents and NHS staff first on the list for immunisation.
In a Downing Street briefing this morning, Dr June Raine, head of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the jab was “all well prepared, and we're ready to roll into action.”
She explained: “The public's safety has always been at the forefront of our minds, safety is our watchword, and it will always continue to be so.
“I would simply like to conclude by reiterating that this vaccine produced and developed by Pfizer BioNtech meets rigorous high standards of safety, of effectiveness and quality.”
Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, of the Commission on Human Medicine Expert Working Group said there had been “no adverse serious side effects” found during trials of the vaccine.
He said: “The trials had about 40,000 individuals and half of those received the vaccine and half received the placebo.
“From the data that's been provided, most of the adverse effects were mild and short-lasting, usually lasting for a day or two - similar to the kind of effects you get after any other vaccine.
“So that is really important to note we haven't identified any serious adverse reactions throughout the trial program.”
Read more: Who will get the coronavirus vaccine first and how long it takes to become immune
The professor said that there would be continued monitoring of safety during deployment of the jag, through reporting programmes available not only to medical professionals but also to the public in general.
He explained: “It is important to continually monitor the safety of this and the MHRA has a very proactive vigilance strategy to be able to monitor the safety.
“Prominent amongst that is the yellow card system which anybody can report on including members of the public, but also the active recall system that the MHRA is going to launch, which will ask members to be able to join and look at what's happening with the vaccine and whether it is developing any kind of side effects.”
He continued: “We are in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic and this is a historic moment.
“The UK is now one step closer to providing a safe and effective vaccine to help in the fight against COVID-19, a virus that has affected each and every one of us in some way, and this will help to save lives.”
Read more: Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine approved by UK regulator
Despite their reassurances, Professor Wei Shen Lim, of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said there were no plans for the vaccine to made compulsory.
He told the briefing: “There's no suggestion that the offer of vaccination should be compulsorily taken up. It is always an offer of vaccination, and whether somebody wants to have a vaccine or not, whether they're in the NHS or not, is at the moment, a voluntary thing.”
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