France's top health authority has formally approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, giving the green light to the nationwide inoculation campaign that is to start on December 27th, although the Haute Autorité de la santé (HAS) says some questions remain, reports Radio France Internationale.
The vaccine against Covid-19 developed by US drug producer Pfizer and Germany's BioNTech, "can be used in people 16 years of age and over" according to HAS, which points out that effectiveness and high tolerance among the population is “satisfactory”.
The vaccine, christened "Comirnaty", was approved for France and the EU by the bloc's health regulator, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) earlier in the week. The procedures have now been rubber stamped by HAS.
First in line are those at risk: the elderly, people affected by other illnesses and people who are likely to be exposed to the pandemic, such as doctors and hospital staff.
HAS says that two doses of Comirnaty applied over a period of 21 days have a “95 percent effectiveness” against symptoms of the virus, while minor side effects like pain at the place of injection, tiredness and headaches may occur.
But the authority pointed out that it is still awaiting more detailed data on how effective the vaccine will be for over 75-year-olds and under-16-year olds. It also said it was not clear how effective the vaccine would be against new mutations of the virus.