US approves Pfizer vaccine as millions of doses begin shipping

The United States green-lighted the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine late on Friday, paving the way for millions of vulnerable people to receive their shots in the world’s hardest-hit country.

President Donald Trump immediately released a video on Twitter, where he hailed the news as a “medical miracle” and said the first immunisations would take place “in less than 24 hours”.