Saudi Arabia approves Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine
- 10 Dec 2020
Saudi Arabia on Thursday approved the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech novel coronavirus vaccine, state media reported, becoming the second Gulf country after Bahrain to green-light the drug.
"The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA)... has approved the registration of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia," it said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press Agency.
"Health authorities in the kingdom can import and use the vaccine," it added.
The SFDA did not specify when it would begin the rollout of the vaccine by US pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.
Last week, Bahrain announced it had approved the emergency use of the same vaccine. Britain and Canada have also approved it.
The SFDA said it will analyse samples from "each incoming vaccine shipment before using it" to ensure quality standards.
Saudi Arabia has so far recorded nearly 360,000 novel coronavirus cases, including more than 6,000 deaths.
Agence France-Presse
