UK approves use of 2nd COVID-19 vaccine that is simpler

Britain has authorized an easy-to-handle coronavirus vaccine and decided to stretch out the time between doses to allow more people to get some level of protection faster as infections surge.

The first greenlight Wednesday for the shot dubbed the ``vaccine for the world'' brought a measure of hope that the pandemic could be brought under control.

The vaccine developed by Oxford University and drugmaker AstraZeneca is expected to be relied on in many countries because of its low cost and the fact that it can be kept in refrigerators rather than at the ultra-cold or freezer temperatures some other vaccines require.

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said "today is an important day for millions of people in the U.K. who will get access to this new vaccine.

It has been shown to be effective, well-tolerated, simple to administer and is supplied by AstraZeneca at no profit.