30-10-2020

The UK government believes a coronavirus vaccine could be ready to be rolled out before Christmas, according to a Times of London report.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has bought access to more than 30 million doses of a vaccine being developed by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, along with millions of doses from other companies. Pfizer's CEO said this week that the company was not on course to deliver a verdict on the effectiveness of its vaccine this month, extending the previous timetable. Grim figures published Thursday estimated that about 96,000 people a day were being infected with the coronavirus in England last week, with the infection rate doubling since earlier in October.

It places Johnson under intense pressure to introduce further restrictions to limit the spread.

British officials believe a coronavirus vaccine could be ready to be rolled out before Christmas, according to a report from The Times of London.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has secured access to more than 30 million doses of a vaccine being developed by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, along with millions more from other companies that officials say may prove successful in immunizing people against the virus.

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla warned this week that the company was not on course to deliver a verdict on the effectiveness of its vaccine by the end of October, having previously indicated it would be able to.