German officials are pushing European drug regulators to clear Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine before Christmas after their counterparts in the U.S. and the U.K. signed off on it.
“Our goal is an approval before Christmas,” Health Minister Jens Spahn told reporters Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. “We want to still start vaccinating this year.”
German media reported the European Medicines Agency (EMA) now plans to decide on the approval on Dec. 23, earlier than the previously scheduled date of Dec. 29, a development Spahn said he “welcomed.”
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Health care trade groups have also called for a speedy approval, including the German Hospital Association, according to the AP.
“I am asking myself if we really need time until Dec. 29 to reach the approval of the vaccination in Europe — Europe should try to get an emergency authorization earlier,” said German Hospital Association President Gerald Gass. “That way we could still go into nursing homes with mobile teams before Christmas and vaccinate the residents.”
Officials in Italy, the first European epicenter of the virus, have also called on the EMA to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine as soon as possible.
“My hope is that the EMA, in compliance with all safety procedures, will be able to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine earlier than expected and that vaccinations can also begin in the countries of the European Union as soon as possible,” Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said in a statement, according to the AP.
Germany, which largely avoided the steep infection and death tolls of other European countries in the spring, has seen a surge in new cases in recent weeks. The country initially imposed a “lockdown light” that exempted retailers and schools from closures. However, as cases continued to surge, German officials have announced all shops but supermarkets and pharmacies would be closed as well as most schools.