Australia regulator approves Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use

[SYDNEY] Australia's therapeutic goods regulator has conditionally approved the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use after determining that it met strict standards for safety, quality and efficacy, the federal government said on Monday.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA) provisional approval is for people aged over 16, and a priority group of Australians would receive their first of two doses of the vaccine once received from the drugmaker, the government added.

"I welcome the TGA's approval of the Pfizer vaccine, with our own Australian experts finding it is safe, effective and of a high standard," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement.

REUTERS