Towards a Covid-19 Vaccine

As soon as a COVID-19 vaccine is proven to be safe and effective we will be ready to start providing it in Britain, starting with the most vulnerable.

That's why the government has secured access to 5 million doses of Moderna’s promising vaccine, following initial data showing that it is nearly 95 per cent effective in protecting against coronavirus, with no safety issues yet identified.

  • This deal means there are now agreements in place with 7 different developers and Britain has secured 355 million vaccine doses, putting us at the front of the international pack on a per capita basis. 
     
  • If the Moderna vaccine passes all the rigorous safety checks and is proved effective, it could be delivered as early as Spring 2021 with the potential for the government to procure more doses next year. 
     
  • But the biggest mistake anyone could make now would be to assume because several possible vaccines look tantalisingly close, that it is safe to slacken our resolve at such a critical moment. Irrespective of whether there is a vaccine on the way or not, we must continue to do everything possible right now to bring the R down – and everyone should continue to stay at home, to protect the NHS and save lives.

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