I am pleased to announce that the EMA scientific committee met today and was in favor of a conditional marketing authorization in the European Union (EU) of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, stated EMA CEO Emer Cooke, at an online press conference.

The EMA's decision opens the way for vaccination campaigns in the EU in the coming days.

The regulatory body, based in Amsterdam, decided to advance the decision on the vaccine, originally scheduled for December 29, due to pressure from some states, such as Germany.

It is an important step in the fight against this pandemic, which is causing so much suffering and hardship, Cooke added.

This is really a historic scientific achievement, in less than a year a vaccine against this disease has been developed and authorized, he said.

In addition, Cooke added that so far there has been no indication that the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine is ineffective against the new strain of coronavirus detected in the United Kingdom and that, according to the British government, it could be up to 70% more contagious.

At the moment, there is no evidence to indicate that this vaccine will not work against the new strain of coronavirus, said the official.