Today Sally-Ann Hart MP, has released a statement on the approval by The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid19 Vaccine:
"The beacon of scientific endeavour and triumph is shining brighter than ever today.
"For months now we have scaling the rock face, clambering to the summit, only to be met by crevasses and peaks to overcome. And yes, at times we have stumbled and lost out footing, but now the path to the summit is clear. We are tantalizingly close.
"We have come so far in the last ten months; we cannot give up now when science has offered us a route out.
"The approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by the independent body – The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – heralds a crucial step forward in the battle against the Covid19 virus. Today we can be confident that this vaccine is safe and effective.
"I myself will have no hesitation in taking the vaccine when called upon by the NHS to do so, and I would urge everyone who is contacted to have the vaccine to take up the offer. The vaccines will not be mandatory, but their success in defeating the virus depends on as many people as possible taking it. This vaccine is safe. This vaccine is effective. As a community we have already worked so hard in combatting this virus, taking the vaccine is the next step we can all play in bringing to an end this dark and difficult period.
"The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has outlined the priority list for those who will be receiving the vaccine in the coming weeks and months.
"I want to take this opportunity to thank the genius of the scientists; the ingenuity of the manufacturers; the thoroughness of the regulators; and the bravery of the volunteers involved. Together they have got us to a place where from next week the most vulnerable people in the UK (starting with care home residents and staff) will receive a covid19 vaccine. This has been a herculean effort, and triumph for science.
The scientific beacon shines bright today, and in the coming months we can reach the summit and look upon a brighter, clearer horizon in 2021."