A nurse administers the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in southern England. EPA
A nurse administers the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in southern England. EPA
A nurse administers the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in southern England. EPA
A nurse administers the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at a clinic in southern England. EPA

EU speeds up approval process for Oxford/AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine


Simon Rushton
  • English
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AstraZeneca has applied to the European Union for approval of the Covid-19 vaccine it made with Oxford University, which is already in use in the UK.

A decision could be made as early as January 29 under an accelerated timeline, the European Medicines Agency said.

Should it be approved, it would be the third Covid-19 vaccine authorised for use in the EU after the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna drugs.

“EMA has received an application for conditional marketing authorisation for a Covid-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University,” the Amsterdam-based agency said.

AstraZeneca’s application was good news, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Britain started using the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine last week, as the third national lockdown was imposed on England and a mutated strain rampaged through the country.

Unlike the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna products, the drug does not require very cold storage temperatures, making it more suitable for less wealthy parts of the world.

AstraZeneca has been criticised over a lack of clarity and transparency on trials, which reported varying levels of efficacy.

Initial large-scale trials in the UK and Brazil, in which volunteers were given two full doses showed 62 per cent effectiveness. But in volunteers who received a half dose first and then a full dose one month later, the vaccine was found to have 90 per cent efficacy.

The product has been approved in Argentina, India and El Salvador, with more countries currently considering authorisation.

In the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, a weakened version of a common cold virus found in chimpanzees is used to carry coronavirus genes around the body. These genes have been altered to prevent them replicating in humans.

Indika
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War and the virus
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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

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Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
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Fixtures

Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA

Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland

Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland

Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA

Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland

Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland

Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free

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UAE cricketers abroad

Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.

Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.

Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets