WHO sees limited rollout of Pfizer vaccine by end-Jan

WHO assistant director general Mariangela Simao said in a briefing the global health body could decide on Pfizer's vaccine candidate by the end of the year. A roll-out in a limited number of countries will take place by end-January or early February as part of the COVAX programme, led by the WHO to provide shots for poor- and middle-income countries, Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, said.

The World Health Organization expects to give emergency use approval for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech this month, with a limited roll-out starting by late January, officials said on Monday. WHO assistant director general Mariangela Simao said in a briefing the global health body could decide on Pfizer's vaccine candidate by the end of the year.

A roll-out in a limited number of countries will take place by end-January or early February as part of the COVAX programme, led by the WHO to provide shots for poor- and middle-income countries, Soumya Swaminathan, WHO chief scientist, said. The comments came as Europe's drug watchdog gave the green light for the use of the shot, taking the region a step closer to mass inoculation of the 450 million population as the United States and Britain roll out the vaccine.