The German health minister, Jens Spahn, has suggested British regulators sped up the approval process to enable the UK to become the first western country to license a coronavirus vaccine.

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'The US and the UK are going for an emergency approval, a rapid approval. We will stick with the tried and tested route of the controlled approach process – a regular approach – and that is why there are some differences regarding the timings of the approvals,' Spahn said on Wednesday.

In a series of media appearances on Wednesday morning, the UK health secretary, Matt Hancock, erroneously claimed that emergency authorisation had been possible 'because of Brexit'.

UK put speed before public confidence in vaccine, says EU agency ► https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/02/uk-put-speed-before-public-confidence-in-vaccine-says-eu-agency

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