Covid vaccine: What does UK vaccine approval mean for US?

With the UK granting approval to a Covid-19 vaccine that is currently being reviewed in the US, 330 million Americans are left wondering when they will be able to get the potentially life-saving jab.

There are two vaccines, made by Moderna and Pfizer, that are both seeking emergency approval in the US.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to meet on 10 December to discuss approval for the UK-approved vaccine, which was created through a partnership between Pfizer and BioNTech.

On Wednesday, the UK became the first country to approve the Pfizer vaccine, meaning that mass injections could start next week.

The UK's approval is expected to place extra pressure on FDA regulators to swiftly approve the vaccine - the CNN's chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, said it was encouraging that there were no red flags in the UK over the vaccine's safety.

Federal officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agree that the nation's 21 million healthcare workers should be prioritised first, as well the three million elderly Americans living in long-term care homes.

The event is expected to bring together vaccine manufacturers, drug distributors and government officials and is being seen by experts as an opportunity for the White House to apply pressure on all involved to swiftly make vaccines available in the US.

Pfizer plans to have 6.4 million doses ready for delivery by 19 December.

Because two shots are required per person, that is enough for three million people, out of a total US population of 330 million.

By the following week, both Pfizer and Moderna are expected to have produced enough vaccines for another 10 million people.

By the end of the month, both companies are anticipated to have produced enough vaccine for 30 million people.

In July, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced a $1.95bn (£1.45bn) deal to secure 100 million vaccine doses from Pfizer.

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