Millions of doses of Pfizer/BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine could be reportedly airlifted to Britain in case Britain fails to agree a trade deal with the European Union when the Brexit transition period ends. Media reports quoted junior foreign office minister James Cleverly as saying, “We have extensive plans in place to ensure the protection of our vaccines, that is absolutely the priority product. We've looked at the use of non-commercial flights, we have border arrangements in place.”
Britain is all set to become the first country to roll out vaccine doses created by the US-based pharmaceutical giant, this week. They will be initially available at hospitals for care workers and the most vulnerable before distributing stocks to doctors' clinics. Supplies have started to arrive in Britain from Pfizer's manufacturing site in Belgium. Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, enough to vaccinate 20 million people. Approximately 800,000 doses are expected to be available in the first week.
However, if a trade deal with the European Union is not agreed before transitional arrangements expire, transport between Britain and mainland Europe may get severely disrupted. Cleverly said the vaccine would get through whatever the circumstances. He said it is the “top priority product in terms of bringing anything into the UK.” The minister said the military could be used and an airlift was included in plans “among other things.”
United States’ Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech reported final trial results on 18 November that showed that their vaccine candidate was 95 per cent effective in preventing Covid-19. The company also said that there had been no significant safety problems so far in a trial which included almost 44,000 participants.
“The Phase 3 study of our vaccine candidate has met all primary efficacy endpoints. The study reached 170 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with the vaccine candidate BNT162b2 demonstrating 95 per cent efficacy beginning 28 days after the first dose,” a statement from the company said. Pfizer-BioNTech data said that the vaccine’s efficacy in people older than 65 was more than 94 per cent, according to Bloomberg.
An earlier preliminary analysis, results of which were announced on 9 November, had shown that the Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE prevented more than 90 per cent of infections. Those findings were based on a preliminary analysis and Phase 3 trials of the vaccine were still underway at the time. The Pfizer vaccine requires minus 70 degree Celsius (minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit) or even lower – one of the coldest temperatures ever seen in a vaccine.
