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WHO Approves Emergency Use of Pfizer Vaccine

VOA News

   The World Health Organization on Thursday approved the Pfizer-BioNTech
   coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, a move aimed at helping the
   developing world gain access to the vaccine sooner.

   The WHO set up its emergency use process to help countries without
   their own regulatory resources to approve vaccines, clearing the way
   for their use.

   "This is a very positive step towards ensuring global access to
   COVID-19 vaccines," said Mariangela Simao, the WHO's access to
   medicines program leader.

   However, the super-cold temperature the vaccine must be kept at --
   minus 70 degrees Celsius -- makes shipping and storing it a challenge
   for developing countries.

   COVAX, a global effort backed by the WHO to buy and distribute vaccines
   to poorer countries, has commitments for 2 billion doses of vaccine so
   far and is in talks with Pfizer-BioNTech to buy some of its vaccine,
   which is 95% effective after two doses.

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