(Bloomberg) -- European stocks edged higher on Wednesday as investors weighed rising coronavirus cases against further progress in vaccinations.

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up less than 0.1% by 8:03am London time, leaving the benchmark with a decline of more than 3% for the year in its last full day of trading. The travel and leisure and technology sectors led the gauge, while food, beverage and tobacco and autos retreated.

On the virus front, AstraZeneca Plc and the University of Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine won U.K. clearance, marking the first approval worldwide for a shot that may be key to mass immunizations as cases surge. Meanwhile U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to rush his Brexit trade deal through Parliament today, with both hard-liners in the Conservative Party as well as the main opposition Labour Party expected to support the agreement.

AstraZeneca advanced 1.3% upon the vaccine news, and was one of the leaders in Britain’s FTSE 100 Index, up 0.1%. Germany’s DAX Index also advanced and will conclude trading for the year at 2 p.m. local time.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.