(Reuters) - Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University as it battles a winter surge driven by a new, highly contagious variant of the virus.
ANTONELLA VIOLA, PROFESSOR OF IMMUNOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF PADUA
“It is a bad message that disorients citizens ... the EMA declared the data insufficient and MHRA granted approval. While there is no doubt about the safety of the vaccine, the efficacy is unclear and too many errors and announcements have complicated the interpretation of the data.”
DANNY ALTMANN, PROFESSOR OF IMMUNOLOGY, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
“Scientists don’t use terms like ‘game-changer’ lightly, but that’s what this is. Currently, the virus is once again proving that it can devastate by outrunning even our most draconian efforts to break transmission by limiting contact.
“To get out of this debacle there is no alternative to having a significant majority of the population carrying a high level of neutralising antibodies. With today’s announcement, that comes within our grasp.
“I await the modelling, but I suspect this will speed things by several months. An immune population by the spring starts to look feasible.”
MATT HANCOCK, UK SECRETARY OF STATE FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
“This is a moment to celebrate British innovation - not only are we responsible for discovering the first treatment to reduce mortality for COVID-19, this vaccine will be made available to some of the poorest regions of the world at a low cost, helping protect countless people from this awful disease.
“It is a tribute to the incredible UK scientists at Oxford University and AstraZeneca, whose breakthrough will help to save lives around the world. I want to thank every single person who has been part of this British success story.
“While it is a time to be hopeful, it is so vital everyone continues to play their part to drive down infections.”
