Klaus Cichutek, head of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, said that, thanks to the rolling EU review of the AstraZeneca vaccine’s effectiveness, it would be possible to take a quick decision once a formal application was submitted.

No such application had been received by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) by Wednesday morning, Cichutek told reporters, but a debate in its councils would follow as soon as it arrived.

“Once the application is submitted a decision can be taken quickly,” Cichutek told a news conference.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn urged “a quick and thorough examination” of the AstraZeneca vaccine by EMA, in addition to the expected EU clearance of a shot from Moderna in early January.

A vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is already being administered under an EU-wide vaccination campaign that began after Christmas.