The United Kingdom on Friday approved
a third vaccine for its mass-vaccination drive, after regulators in the country
gave green light to the shot developed by US pharmaceutical firm Moderna, AFP
reported.

Reportedly, a population of close to
1.5 million people have been given the Oxford-AstraZeneca and the Pfizer-BioNTech
vaccines since early December, with the government aiming to inoculate a total
of 15 million people by the middle of February.

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“This is further great news and
another weapon in our arsenal to tame this awful disease,” AFP quoted
Health Secretary Matt Hancock as saying with regard to the approval of the
vaccine by the Medicines and healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The authorisation comes after months
of trials with thousands of test subjects and an extensive analysis of the
safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccine.

The Department of Health and Social
Care hailed the vaccine as having a 94% efficacy.

Britain so far has ordered 17 million
doses of the vaccine, slated to be delivered in the coming months as soon as
Moderna increases its production capacity.

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With elderly residents and care home
staff being first in line for the jabs, more than 1,000 vaccination centres
including community pharmacies and the like are expected to be open by the end
of the current week.