Matt Hancock has revealed the NHS could begin vaccinating people as early as the start of December.
Speaking to Sky News, Hancock said that no vaccine will be deployed until the government is ‘confident’ in its safety.
He added: “Of course, there are many hurdles that still need to be gone over and we haven’t seen the full safety data, and obviously that is critical.
“We won’t deploy a vaccine unless we can be confident in its clinical safety, but we also do need to be ready should a vaccine be licensed and get through all those hurdles and be ready to roll it out.”
It comes after Pfizer, a pharmaceutical giant announced its vaccine candidate is more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19.
However, Boris Johnson warned Brits to not relax. Last night, he said: “Tonight that toot of the bugle is louder, but it’s still some way off. We absolutely cannot rely on this news as a solution.
“The biggest mistake we could make now would be to slacken our resolve at a critical moment.”
Hancock added that care home residents and staff, NHS and social staff and then elderly people would be first in line for the vaccination. He declined to add his voice to those who have said life could be back to normal by spring next year.
The British Medical Association has said the coronavirus vaccine could be available from GPs and large drive-through sites 11 hours a day and seven days a week.
The BMA told GP surgeries to be ready for ‘rapid delivery’ once the vaccines are approved by regulators.
Patients are set to be given two vaccine doses – either 21 or 28 days apart.
The BMA said in its statement: “Vaccine availability will be limited to begin with, meaning only small numbers of vaccines may be given in December with most vaccinations taking place in early 2021.
“Working together, practices will need to be prepared to offer vaccinations seven days a week so that the vaccine is delivered within its short shelf-life and so patients receive it as soon as possible.
“Practices will need to work together to decide which one practice (or another appropriate site) is used for the vaccination site, remembering the need for provision to be potentially available 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.”
However, scientists have expressed concerns over how GPs will store the vaccines that need to be kept at -80C.
Brendan Wren, a professor of microbial pathogenesis at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told Sky News: “You can certainly make a lot of it but whether you could get it to everybody that needs it is another issue and that’s why it’s good that there are other vaccines available.”
