US Health Authorities "AstraZeneca Vaccine Approval by End of March"... EU to Review Approval on 29th

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. health authorities announced that they will approve the use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine by March. Earlier, the European Union (EU) also announced that it will decide on the approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine on the 29th of this month, signaling the full-scale commercialization of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Unlike the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, it can be stored at room temperature and has a low production cost, so vaccine distribution is expected to increase significantly.

According to foreign media including CNN on the 12th (local time), Moncef Slaoui, the chief of the U.S. Operation Warp Speed, said at a press briefing, "Based on the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trials in the U.S., we expect the AstraZeneca vaccine to be approved by the end of March," and added, "If Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine submits an approval application, vaccinations could begin by the end of next month." The Operation Warp Speed team plans to have four commercial vaccines available within the first quarter of this year to greatly accelerate the vaccination rollout.

Earlier, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) also announced the day before that AstraZeneca had submitted an application for vaccine approval and that a decision would be made on the 29th of this month. In a statement, the EMA said, "The submitted data on quality, safety, and efficacy are sufficient, and if additional information required to complete the evaluation is promptly submitted, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) will conduct the approval review on the 29th." Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, also stated on Twitter that "As soon as a positive and scientific stance on the vaccine emerges, we will move at full speed to approve its use within Europe."

With the AstraZeneca vaccine expected to be approved and commercialized soon in various countries, there is growing anticipation that the COVID-19 vaccination rate will improve significantly. Unlike Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA-based vaccines, which require ultra-cold cold chain maintenance, the AstraZeneca vaccine is an adenovirus vector-based vaccine that can be stored at room temperature and has a low production cost, making production, transportation, and storage all convenient.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.