The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Tuesday it had moved forward a meeting to decide on authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine by more than a week to December 21. 

"Likely that the first Europeans will be vaccinated before end 2020," President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, wrote on Twitter after EMA's decision.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn told a news conference earlier that he hoped European Union approval for the vaccine would be in place before Christmas, clearing a path for inoculations before the end of the year.

The goal was still to have a regular approval, not an emergency approval, Spahn said. "It will be the first regular approval of a (COVID-19) vaccine in the world," he added.

(With input from agencies)