Pfizer and its partner BioNTech have applied for emergency authorisation of their coronavirus vaccine in Europe.
The application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) comes after emergency use was also sought in the US and Britain.
In their pursuit of a European launch, potentially this year, the partners are neck and neck with rival Moderna, which also said on Monday it would ask the EU regulator to recommend conditional approval for its shot.
Pfizer and BioNTech reported in mid-November that their vaccine candidate was 95 per cent effective in preventing coronavirus, with no major safety concerns.
It raises the prospect of US and European approval within weeks.
BioNTech can start shipping the first doses “within hours” after clearance, the company said.
If the EMA concludes that the benefits of the Pfizer-BioNTech shot outweigh the risks, it will recommend granting a conditional clearance that could enable the shot to be rolled out in Europe before the end of the year, the companies said.
The partners have signed deals to deliver hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine, including an agreement with the EU for 200 million doses, with an option for an additional 100 million.
The UK, which is poised to become the first country to approve the vaccine, ordered 40 million doses.
Approval could be granted as soon as December 7, with an inoculation programme introduced within hours of authorisation.
The US could follow days later with emergency approval granted between December 8 and December 10.
The British regulator is also carrying out safety checks on the Moderna and University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines, but approval for those is expected to come after the Pfizer shot is approved.
The Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are both based on a new technology that uses mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) to deliver genetic material to the body that makes human cells create a protein from the virus.
This trains the immune system to be ready to attack if it encounters coronavirus.
But Moderna's vaccine can be kept in long term storage at -20 degrees, while Pfizer's requires -70 degrees.
Meanwhile, new research suggests more than half of Britons worry that countries may be rushing or bypassing processes in order to lead the vaccine race.
The survey of 8,000 people, carried out by polling company Piplsay, also found 73 per cent of Britons backed the Oxford vaccine and were optimistic about its success.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: From Dh280,000
