Kathmandu, December 31. United Kingdom (UK) has authorized AstraZeneca and University of Oxford for the COVID-19 vaccines on Wednesday.

The decision has placed Britain at the forefront of a far-reaching and unpredictable experiment to speed up vaccines, one that some scientists believe might relieve the misery caused by the pandemic. The global initiative to speed up vaccinations is speeding up as a new, more infectious strain of the virus is spreading in many countries.

Although China claimed that its vaccine was effective, it went short on providing crucial details. Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine was  also long criticized for its premature launch but has been authorized for use in countries like Argentina, Belarus, Hungary and Serbia.

Britain’s steps have presented a framework for how to scale up inoculation campaigns. The West can learn some lessons from Britain since they have been entangled in logistical and manufacturing problems. It is also believed that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who had been facing criticism for the handling of the pandemic, could get some relief after the rollout of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine.

Currently, the government has announced a virtual lockdown and pushed re-opening of schools until January.

The vaccine shot from Oxford-AstraZeneca is likely to become the dominant method of inoculation in the world. It is a fraction of the cost of other vaccines, at $ 3 to $ 4 a dose. Unlike the ultra-cold freezers required by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, it can be shipped and stored in regular refrigerators for six months, making it easier to administer in poorer countries.