London, Apr 15 (IANS): A Covid vaccine developed by French firm Valneva was granted regulatory approval on Thursday by the British Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The Valneva jab is the first whole-virus inactivated Covid vaccine to gain regulatory approval in the UK, Xinhua news agency reported.

The vaccine is approved for use in people aged between 18-50, with the first and second doses to be taken at least 28 days apart.

The British independent medicines regulator is the first in the world to approve the Valneva product, MHRA said in a statement. It is also the sixth coronavirus vaccine to be granted an MHRA authorisation.

The UK reported 238,938 Covid cases and 1,984 deaths in the past seven days. The caseload has reached 21,747,638, with total deaths of 171,396, official figures on Thursday showed.

More than 92 per cent of people aged 12 and above in Britain have received at least one shot of Covid vaccine and more than 86 per cent have received two shots and more than 67 per cent have received a booster jab.