Moderna vaccine also approved for use in Britain

London (dpa) – Following on from the European Union, Britain has now also approved the Covid-19 vaccine from the US manufacturer Moderna.

The British government announced on Friday in London that the competent authority had granted approval for the Moderna vaccine.

Following the vaccine from BioNTech/Pfizer and the domestic vaccine from Oxford University and the AstraZeneca group, Moderna’s is already the third preparation that can be use for vaccinations in Britain.

Britain has ordered 17 million doses of the Moderna drug, which is considered to be just as effective but a little less complicated to use than the BioNTech/Pfizer product as it does not have to be cooled to minus 70 degrees Celsius.

In the United States, the Moderna vaccine was first injected shortly before Christmas following emergency approval. It is already approved in the EU.

Like the product from BioNTech/Pfizer, the one from Moderna is also a so-called mRNA vaccine.

It contains genetic information about the pathogen, from which the body produces a virus protein. The aim of vaccination is to stimulate the body to produce antibodies against this protein in order to intercept the viruses before they enter the cells and multiply.

According to the government, around 1.5 million people in Britain have been vaccinated against Covid-19 so far. However, the pace of the vaccination campaign is to be accelerated significantly in order to get the virus under control.

The aim is to offer the 15 million British people who are particularly at risk a first vaccination by mid-February.

The news comes as London tightens restrictions on people arriving in England to halt the spread of new more infectious coronavirus strains.

From next week, passengers arriving by air, train or boat will have to show a negative test from no longer than 72 hours before their arrival, Britain’s Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said early Friday.

Anyone who cannot show a test result on arrival will have to pay a 500-pound (680-dollar) on-the-spot fine.

Exceptions to the rules include lorry drivers, children under 11 years of age and arrivals from Ireland.

Tests before departure are another defence measure, in addition to the mandatory self-isolation after entering from another country.

The head of London’s largest airport, Heathrow, described the measure in a BBC interview as “a real challenge” for travellers. The test capacities are very different from country to country, said John Holland-Kaye and called on the British government to advocate for common international standards in testing.

The three other British home nations have devolved powers regarding health issues. Scotland and Northern Ireland have followed England’s lead, introducing the same negative test requirement, but Wales has not yet, Britain’s PA news agency reported on Friday.

“We already have significant measures in place to prevent imported cases of Covid-19, but with new strains of the virus developing internationally, we must take further precautions,” Shapps said.

England has gone back into lockdown until March 31, meaning there are few international arrivals.

Many other countries have long since had rules in place that require a negative coronavirus test as a condition of entry.