Covid Pfizer vaccine approved for use next week in UK

The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use.

British regulator, the MHRA, says the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against COVID-19 illness, is safe for rollout next week. Immunisations could start within days for those who need it the most, such as elderly, vulnerable patients.

The UK has already ordered 40m doses - enough to vaccinate 20m people.

Around 10m doses should be available soon, with the first 800,000 arriving in the UK in the coming days.

It is the fastest ever vaccine to go from concept to reality, taking only 10 months to follow the same developmental steps that normally span a decade.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted "It's the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast that people will be contacted by the NHS when it is their turn for the jab.

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Source: BBC News, 1 December 2020