Ireland could be among first to receive coronavirus vaccine that may be ready 'within weeks'

The boss at the Irish branch of one of the world's biggest drug companies has raised hopes of a coronavirus vaccine "within weeks".

Paul Reid, managing director of Pfizer Ireland, said his firm's experimental jab could be approved by the end of next month and Ireland could be among the first to receive a batch.

Pfizer already has 100 million doses ready and is waiting for the green light from authorities in Europe and the US.

Mr Reid told the Irish Independent the vaccine involves two doses and is being tested on 44,000 people aged 12 and upwards.

He said: "We are accelerating through the clinical trial programme at breakneck speed.

"We are seeing a speed of recruitment into the trials that we have never seen before. Already 40,000 have been recruited.

"We have over 35,000 participants who received the second dose of the vaccine."

A spokesperson for Pfizer Ireland told Dublin Live that submitting the vaccine for emergency use authorisation to the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency next month were major milestones.

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/health/coronavirus-ireland-vaccine-ireland-pfizer-19160492

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