Britain will fight back against “irresponsible” global criticism of its rapid approval of a coronavirus vaccine today as the government tries to prevent damage to public confidence in the jab.
A day after ministers hailed the UK as the first western nation to approve a vaccine, the most senior Covid-19 expert in the United States suggested the process had not been careful enough.
Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that Britain’s fast decision could make people reluctant to get vaccinated. Health officials have dismissed the criticism as sour grapes, but they acknowledge that the speed has made some nervous.
In an attempt to convince those most likely to be hesitant, June Raine, head of the Medicines