500,000 volunteers sought as UK secures access to 90 million ‘coronavirus vaccine’ doses

The Government has secured early access to 90 million doses of what it calls ‘promising’ vaccines being developed by the BioNTech/Pfizer alliance and Valneva and says more are ‘in the pipeline’.

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It has also agreed a deal to get treatments containing ‘Covid-19-neutralising’ antibodies from AstraZeneca to protect those who cannot receive vaccines.

Ministers are now encouraging people to sign up to a new NHS website making it easier for volunteers to join vital vaccine studies in the future, with the target of getting 500,000 people to register by October.

The Government claims the new partnerships mean it could have enough doses to protect those at greatest risk, including frontline health and social care workers, if the vaccines prove effective.

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People who sign up to the NHS Covid-19 vaccine research registry will be invited to take part in large-scale clinical studies when the time comes, speeding up efforts to discover a safe and workable vaccine.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “The hunt to find a vaccine is a truly global endeavour and we are doing everything we can to ensure the British public get access to a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine as soon as possible.

“This new partnership with some of the world’s foremost pharmaceutical and vaccine companies will ensure the UK has the best chance possible of securing a vaccine that protects those most at risk.”

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