EVERY adult will be vaccinated against Covid by April under radical NHS plans to bring an end to the pandemic, leaked documents reveal.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock tonight said the first Brit patients could get a vaccine in December, subject to approval.
He confirmed that the Government has formally asked the regulator – the MHRA – to assess the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for use in the UK.
Mr Hancock told a No 10 press conference the company had already begun submitting data to the regulator and would submit its full data in the coming days.
“This is another important step forward in tackling this pandemic,” he said.
He said the speed of the roll-out of a vaccine would depend on the speed it could be manufactured.
“If the regulator approves a vaccine we will be ready to start the vaccination next month with the bulk of roll-out in the new year.
“We are heading in the right direction but there is still a long way to go.”
He also said that he has grown “more and more confident” that life will be closer to normal by spring.
Also today:
- Matt Hancock said Britain’s second Covid wave is ‘flattening’ as 20,252 more cases and 511 new deaths recorded
- The Health Secretary also said how “important it is” to allow people to see their loved ones at Christmas – but no decisions have yet been made
- He said the devolved nations are working together on a joint approach to travel and lockdown rules, which is due to be set out next week
- The UK’s official R rate has fallen again – with every region at or below 1, except the South East
- Government figures show that new Covid cases dropped 18 per centafter England’s first full week of national lockdown
