On Monday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) gave the green light for Pfizer / Biontech's coronavina vaccine.

Shortly afterwards, the European Commission also announced its approval, which means that it is now free to roll out the first doses in Europe.

Pfizer Sweden's CEO Malin Parkler describes the decision as a milestone.

- It is fantastic that the European Commission has now approved the first covid-19 vaccine for Europe.

We are extremely happy about that, of course.

It is a major milestone in the fight against the pandemic.

Malin Parkler says that the vaccine is packed in trucks at the final production in Belgium ready to be run out.

Already on Saturday, the first delivery is expected to arrive in Sweden.

- Our trucks are ready in Belgium to deliver vaccines to all EU countries at the same time, so on December 26 there will be a first load of doses.

Then the regions are ready to start vaccinating sometime next week, says Malin Parkler.

Already the following week, an additional 80,000 doses are expected to arrive in Sweden, after which it will be replenished weekly.

"Solid studies"

Since the outbreak of the pandemic last spring, it has been more or less a race to get a covid-19 vaccine.

According to Malin Parkler, despite the rapid process, solid studies and tests have been carried out.

- The process has followed every step as it usually is in the development of vaccines.

Once you have found a vaccine that you think will work, you first test it on animals, then you test it on humans.

Then there are solid large studies as with all vaccines.

The reason why it has gone so fast this time is that everyone has cooperated, says Malin Parkler.

"Should take people's concerns seriously"

However, she is aware that there is some concern with a new vaccine.

In the UK, for example, two people recently had severe allergic reactions.

- It is solid studies that have been carried out and it has been examined according to all the rules of art.

But one should take people's concerns seriously and I would encourage anyone who is concerned to read on.

What we have seen so far are moderate side effects as with a regular vaccination, such as a sign that the immune system has been triggered, she says.

The public health authority has said that pregnant women, who have an increased risk of becoming seriously ill with covid-19, will not be vaccinated in the first stage.

- There is not much data on pregnant women yet so it is a typical area where we need to collect more data, says Malin Parkler.