BRITAIN has approved a third Covid vaccine in a boost to efforts to beat the pandemic.
UK regulators have granted emergency use authorisation of the Moderna jab.
Britain has bought 17 million doses – but supplies will not be available for NHS use until the spring.
The Moderna vaccine was hailed as “tremendously exciting” when the US pharmaceutical company posted its phase three clinical trial results in November.
Its trial involved more than 30,000 people, half of whom received the vaccine and the other half received a placebo.
The vaccine demonstrated a 94.1 per cent efficacy in the trial.
The trial also showed 90.9 per cent efficacy in participants at risk of severe Covid-19.
It came as:
- All travellers to England and Scotland from international destinations will have to test negative for Covid before they can enter the country
- Boris Johnson revealed nearly 1.5million Brits had received their first vaccine dose so far
- The PM also vowed people won’t have to travel more than 10 miles to their nearest vaccination centre
- The UK recorded 52,618 new COVID-19 coronavirus cases and 1,162 additional deaths
- Matt Hancock laid out four criteria for lifting Britain’s lockdown – and said he thinks this third lockdown will be the last
- Cops warned they would step up fines of people not wearing masks and breaking lockdown laws
It comes a week after Britain’s own Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use with the first jabs going into people’s arms this week.
GP surgeries started their roll out yesterday and community pharmacies are set to start offering jabs from next week.
Boris Johnson last night vowed to vaccinate at least 200,000 Brits a day by next week — with the Army drafted in to help rapidly roll out jabs.
The Prime Minister also revealed that nearly 1.5 million people had been given their first dose so far.
A new national booking service for people to be vaccinated will also be unveiled – and no one will have to travel more than ten miles to get one, the PM added.
Mr Johnson said more than 1,400 hospitals, GP practices and pharmacies would be immunising patients by the end of next week.
And he insisted he had “no doubt” that there would be enough supply to offer everyone in the top four vulnerable groups a vaccine by his February 15 deadline.
The PM also vowed Brits will not have to travel more than 10 miles to their nearest vaccination centre as 1,200 hubs plan to open next week.
