The UK medicines regulator the MHRA on Wednesday approved Oxford University-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is expected to be rolled out next week.

AstraZeneca, in a statement, said that first doses of the vaccine are being released so that vaccinations may begin early in the New Year.

The company aims to deliver millions of doses in the first quarter as part of its deal with the government of UK to supply up to 100 million doses in total, it stated further.

The health ministry said, "The government has today accepted the recommendation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorise Oxford University/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine for use."

The University of Oxford and drug manufacturer AstraZeneca had applied to the UK health regulator for request to roll out their vaccine, Health Minister Matt Hancock had said on Wednesday.

"I'm delighted to be able to tell you that the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine developed here in the UK has submitted its full data package to the MHRA for approval," news agency ANI reported him as saying.

"This is the next step towards a decision on the deployment of the vaccine," the health minister said.

Meanwhile, Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla recently stated that he was hoping for the emergency use nod of AstraZeneca-Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine 'Covishield' by the end of this month or January in the UK and India.