The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday granted its ’emergency validation’ to the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer, in collaboration with Germany’s BioNTech, AFP reported. This will pave the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve its import and distribution.

Also read: US nurse, who received Pfizer’s vaccine, tests positive for COVID-19

Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine is the first to get WHO’s ’emergency validation’.

“This is a very positive step towards ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines,” said Mariangela Simao, a top WHO official tasked with ensuring access to medicines, AFP reported.

“But I want to emphasise the need for an even greater global effort to achieve enough vaccine supply to meet the needs of priority populations everywhere,” she said in a statement.

WHO said its emergency use listing opens the way for regulators in different countries to approve the import and distribution of the vaccine.

It said it also enables UNICEF, which plays a key logistical role in distributing anti-Covid vaccines, and the Pan-American Health Organization to procure the vaccine for countries that need it.

WHO convened its own experts and those from around the world to review the data on the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine’s “safety, efficacy and quality,” weighing the benefits against the risks.

“The review found that the vaccine met the must-have criteria for safety and efficacy set out by WHO and that the benefits of using the vaccine to address COVID-19 offset potential risks,” it said.

Also read: Swiss woman dies after getting COVID-19 vaccine, connection between two ‘highly unlikely’

The United Kingdom was the first country to start vaccinating its people with Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine. It was followed by the United States, Canada and the countries of the European Union.