The ten 'priority groups' that will first get the new Covid-19 vaccine

This morning pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and biotech firm BioNTech said that the vaccine they have been developing had been shown to have the high success rate at a major trial of the drug based on 94 confirmed cases.

Pfizer, which is developing the mRNA-based vaccine with BioNTech, said the results were from a independent interim analysis of the results of its phase three clinical study.

Boris Johnson said the Pfizer vaccine news was a sign the “scientific cavalry” was on its way, but stressed the need for caution.

The Prime Minister told a Downing Street press conference the vaccine had cleared a “significant hurdle” but there were more to cross before it could be used.

“I must stress that these are very, very early days,” he said during a Downing Street press conference.

The Government said it’s publication of the groups who would receive the vaccine first is “a combination of clinical risk stratification and an age-based approach, which should optimise both targeting and deliverability.”

It also stressed that the ranking as published is ‘provisional’ at the moment.

The ranking is as follows

older adults’ resident in a care home and care home workers1all those 80 years of age and over and health and social care workers1all those 75 years of age and overall those 70 years of age and overall those 65 years of age and overhigh-risk adults under 65 years of agemoderate-risk adults under 65 years of ageall those 60 years of age and overall those 55 years of age and overall those 50 years of age and overrest of the population (priority to be determined)

England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said there was “reason for optimism for 2021” following the announcement of the vaccine.

He tweeted: “Preliminary news that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is effective demonstrates the power of science against COVID. We must see the final safety and efficacy data, but it is very encouraging.

“It is essential we continue to suppress COVID, but it is a reason for optimism for 2021.”