The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for widespread use in the UK as early as next week.

“The government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use,” the UK government announced. “The vaccine will be made available across the UK from next week.”

Last week, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that Malta has been allocated 500,00 doses of this vaccine, meaning 250,000 people can be vaccinated with two shots each. Fearne also noted that the government managed to double the amount agreed upon with the EU.

Fearne has recently noted that the vaccine could be administered in the first weeks of 2021. Frontliners and the vulnerable will receive a letter of eligibility for the vaccine by post indicating where and when they can receive the jab. So far, frontliners include nurses, pharmacists, police and civil protection officers.

Yesterday, the UPE issued a statement appealing to the government to also include teachers among the list of frontliners. “Allowing our educators the possibility to receive the non-mandatory vaccination would reduce the risk of having schools understaffed, or functioning haphazardly, due to sporadic outbreaks, or individual cases, amongst educators,” they said.