There has been much cause for hope in recent weeks, as major breakthroughs have been made in the race for a Covid vaccine.
Now, in the latest development, the UK could give regulatory approval to Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine this week, according to the Telegraph.
A government source told the paper that British regulators were about to start a formal appraisal of the vaccine, made by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, with the NHS told to prepare for a roll-out by 1 December.
Britain has ordered 40 million doses and expects to have 10 million doses, enough to protect five million people, available by the end of the year if regulators approve it.
Draft plans suggest every adult in England could be vaccinated against Covid by April, while Scotland's health secretary Jeane Freeman previously said they aim to have one million Scots vaccinated by January.
Last week, Nicola Sturgeon said that an end to the Covid-19 pandemic is now in sight, and that the country could see a return to a "more normal way of life" by the spring time following recent vaccine developments.
The Scottish Government has outlined its distribution plan for mass inoculation to the virus, with Jeane Freeman revealing to the BBC that there would be a public information campaign to dispel vaccine concerns.
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However, she said: "We've no plans on making the vaccine compulsory.
"What we have to do is hear what concerns people have about why they would be reluctant to take the vaccine.
"In Scotland we have a very good record of high uptake of vaccines and we've a strong track record of delivering them safely and effectively."
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