Zurich, December 19: Switzerland on Saturday announced its approval for using the vaccine against coronavirus (COVID-19), which is developed by Pfizer and partner BioNTech. Swiss drugs regulator Swissmedic announced its official website that Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine has been authorised for use in Switzerland following a two-month rolling review. Margaret 'Maggie' Keenan, 90-Year-Old, Receives First Shot of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in UK; Watch Video.

"According to the data assessed by the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, the level of protection afforded seven days after the second injection of the vaccine is over 90 percent. This represents the world's first authorisation in the ordinary procedure," Swissmedic said. So far, the United States, Britain, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain authorised Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Provides Immunity Within 10 Days of First Shot: US FDA.

"The safety of patients is an essential prerequisite, especially where the authorisation of vaccines is concerned. Thanks to the rolling procedure and our flexibly organised teams, we nevertheless managed to reach a decision quickly – while also fully satisfying the three most important requirements of safety, efficacy and quality," Swissmedic Director Raimund Bruhin said.

Switzerland has signed contracts with three manufacturers for around 15.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine. It has signed contracts for around three million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, around 7.5 million doses of Moderna's vaccine, and around 5.3 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 19, 2020 04:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).