Dr Bruno Holthof, Chief Executive of Oxford University Hospitals (OUH), has welcomed today’s announcement that the coronavirus vaccine developed by scientists at the University of Oxford has been approved for use in the UK.
The UK Government today accepted the recommendation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorise the emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the UK.
He said: “I am delighted to hear that the vaccine developed in Oxford has received regulatory approval. It is another important milestone as we try to tackle this pandemic and allow the country and the world to return to normality. I am particularly proud of the strong partnership between OUH and the University of Oxford, especially in the area of the vaccine clinical trials.
“Hundreds of healthcare workers at OUH took part in the vaccine trial; they can be rightly proud of the role they have played in keeping their patients, colleagues and wider community safe.”
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock described the approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as “a really significant moment” in the fight against COVID-19 and said it was a “real British success story”.
Professor Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and Chief Investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial, said: “The regulator’s assessment that this is a safe and effective vaccine is a landmark moment, and an endorsement of the huge effort from a devoted international team of researchers and our dedicated trial participants. Though this is just the beginning, we will start to get ahead of the pandemic, protect health and economies when the vulnerable are vaccinated everywhere, as many as possible as soon possible.”
More information is available on the University of Oxford website.