OREANDA-NEWS. The British authorities have approved a COVID-19 vaccine developed by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford. The Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom reported that the medication has shown its safety in clinical trials.

“The Government has today accepted the recommendation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorise Oxford University/AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine for use. This follows rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA, which has concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness,” the agency reported.

According to the Johns Hopkins University, there are 2.39 million people infected with coronavirus in Great Britain. 71.7 thousand people died. 5.3 thousand patients recovered. In mid-December, it became known about the emergence of a new strain of coronavirus in the UK. More than 20 countries have suspended flights with the country.