The United Kingdom is the first country in the world to adopt the covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer / Biontech. The British Medicines Agency, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, has given the green light and according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, they will start vaccinating residents early next week, according to Reuters news agency.

When the vaccine could be approved in the European Union is unclear. But Swedish vaccination coordinator Richard Bergstrom thinks a decision can be made within a few weeks.

It’s a little more complicated with 27 countries having a combined operation. It is easier for Britain to agree with itself. As it now appears, it is possible that the vaccine could be approved before Christmas, on weekdays or at least in early January, Richard Bergstrom tells Dagens Nyheter.

At the same time, Astra Zeneca also states that it has started producing its vaccine, despite the fact that it has not yet been approved.

We have already started producing this vaccine however, we are ready to start delivering the vaccine in hundreds of millions of doses already in January, subject to approval, says Christina Malmberg Heigerstrand, press director of Astra Zeneca, Swedish radio Ekot.