The boss at the Irish branch of one of the world's biggest drug companies has raised hopes of a coronavirus vaccine "within weeks"
Paul Reid, managing director of Pfizer Ireland, has said that his firm's experimental jab could be approved by the end of next month and Ireland could be among the first to receive a batch.
Pfizer already has 100 million doses ready and is waiting for the green light from authorities in Europe and the US.
Mr Reid told the Irish Independent the vaccine involves two doses and is being tested on 44,000 people aged 12 and upwards.
He said: "We are accelerating through the clinical trial programme at breakneck speed.
"We are seeing a speed of recruitment into the trials that we have never seen before.
"Already 40,000 have been recruited.
"We have over 35,000 participants who received the second dose of the vaccine."
A spokesperson for Pfizer Ireland told the Irish Sunday Mirror that submitting the vaccine for emergency use authorisation to the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency next month were major milestones.
Mr Reid said: "We are going to have to demonstrate the quality and consistency of the vaccine.
"We are trying to be as open as possible.
We are sharing any conclusive read-out data, whether positive or negative, within a few days after independent scientists see it.
"The positivity around the vaccine is predicated on good science so far.
"The initial roll-out will not bring an end to physical distancing and other Covid rules, but depending on how effective it is, it may give some protection to at-risk groups and reduce the need for lockdowns.
Mr Reid added that his company has been investing since the early days of the pandemic to make sure it is ready to meet vaccine demand and it intends to produce 1.3 billion doses next year.
Staff in Pfizer's Grange Castle site in Dublin have been involved in quality testing.
