The United Kingdom could give regulatory approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate as early as this week, even before the United States, the Telegraph reported on Sunday.

Citing government sources, the report said the British regulators were about to start a formal assessment of the vaccine, made by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, which showed 95% efficacy. The National Health Service has been told to be ready to administer it by December 1.

Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration said on Friday that it would meet on December 10 to discuss whether to authorise the vaccine.

Britain formally asked its medical regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, last week to assess the suitability of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Britain has ordered 40 million doses and expects to have 10 million doses, enough to protect 5 million people, available by the end of the year if regulators approve it.

The coronavirus has hit Britain hard with the country recording over 1.5 million cases in total and the death toll crossing the 55,000-mark, the highest in Europe.