Matt Hancock says roll out of vaccine could begin next month- and issues Christmas update
Covid-19 vaccines will begin being rolled out across the country- as soon as next month- if they are approved by drug regulators, Matt Hancock has confirmed.
The Government has asked the regulator, the MHRA, to consider licensing the vaccine which is made by pharmaceutical firms BioNTech and Pfizer, the Health Secretary told a No 10 press conference this afternoon (Friday, November 20).
“This is another important step forward in tackling this pandemic,” Mr Hancock said, adding that 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,” he said.
“We are heading in the right direction but there is still a long way to go.”
The Health Secretary also told the press conference that it is still ‘too early’ to say what contact people will be able to have over Christmas and what additional restrictions may be required after lockdown is eased.
“We’re doing the work on what happens after December 2 right now, it’s still too early to tell,” he said.
“I’m afraid we still haven’t made those decisions.
“Over Christmas I know how important it is that we have a system in place, a set of rules that both keeps people safe but also allows people to see their loved ones.”
But Professor Jonathan Van-Tam warned infection rates will pick up again if the public ignore any guidelines put in place around Christmas.
“If people don’t (follow the guidelines) then the first scientific principle is things will go back up again. There is dual responsibility here. There is no magic number about how many days it is going to cost us,” he told the press conference.
He said he believed they were on the “glide path” towards rolling out a vaccination programme.
“Do I believe that we are now on the glide path to landing this plane? Yes I do,” he said.
“Do I accept that sometimes when you are on the glide path you can have a side wind and the landing is not totally straightforward, totally textbook? Of course.”
Prof Van-Tam, who was appearing remotely, said he was self-isolating due to a “household contact”.