Britain on Wednesday approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on independent advice of its medicines regulator. The vaccine will be made available across the UK from 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," a UK Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said in a statement.