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COVID-19 vaccine may be available in Malta before end of 2020
That’s right! The COVID-19 vaccine, which was produced by Pfizer and BioNTech, is expected to be authorised by the European Medicines Agency by the 21 December, a week earlier than initially planned.
According to the agency, it brought forward a special meeting today, to give the final go-ahead after the company passed on additional data requested by its experts yesterday evening. The meeting was originally scheduled for 29 December but has now been brought forward to Monday!
“The CHMP (human medicines committee) will conclude its assessment at the earliest possible time point and only once the data on the quality, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine are sufficiently robust and complete to determine whether the vaccine’s benefits outweigh its risks,” said the EMA.
Once the committee recommends a marketing authorisation, the European Commission will then fast track its decision-making process. In this way, a marketing authorisation, valid in all EU and EEA Member States should be granted within days.
The vaccine has already been approved for distribution in the UK and in the US. Originally, the expected arrival of the vaccine in Malta was the beginning of January 2021, but with the EMA advancing its approval process, the country could possibly be looking at an end-of-year delivery.
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