Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine Becomes First in the World to Receive WHO Emergency Use Authorization

The decision will allow countries to accelerate their own regulatory approval of the vaccine and allow UNICEF and the #Pan #American #Health #Organization to purchase it for distribution.

The #World #Health #Organization (WHO) announced on #Thursday that it gave the emergency use authorization to the vaccine against covid-19 from the US pharmaceutical company #Pfizer and its #German partner #BioNTech.

#In this way, the drug becomes the first in the world to receive authorization from the WHO.

“#This is a very positive step to guarantee global access to vaccines” against the coronavirus, declared the WHO deputy director general for access to medicines and health products, #Mariangela #Simao. #However, the official added that “an even greater global effort” is needed to obtain a sufficient supply to meet the needs of “priority populations everywhere.”

#How does the #Pfizer vaccine work?

#Pfizer’s BNT162b2 vaccine – like the drug from another #American pharmaceutical company, #Moderna – is based on a new messenger RNA technology (MRNA).

The technology basically ‘instructs’ cells to make copies of the coronavirus spike protein, stimulating the production of protective antibodies.