The UK Requests Authorization For Oxford's COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate

The United Kingdom (UK) Department of Health and Social Care sent a letter to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on November 27, 2020, asking the regulator to assess the experimental AZD1222 vaccine candidate for authorization under Regulation 174 of the Human Medicines Regulations. The MHRA has already started a rolling review to determine whether the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine meets its strict standards of safety, efficacy, and quality.

If granted, this request would enable the temporary supply of the AZD1222 vaccine to be authorized in response to a public health need, said the UK government.

The UK's Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock commented: 'We have formally asked the regulator to assess the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, to understand the data and determine whether it meets rigorous safety standards. This letter is an important step towards deploying a vaccine as quickly as safely possible.'