A new coronavirus vaccine could be approved just after Christmas, scientist claims.
Regulators could approve the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine "shortly after" Christmas by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said Professor Sir John Bell.
Approval of the Oxford vaccine would be a major boost to efforts to control Covid-19 due to it being easier to distribute than the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was the first to be approved and began its historic NHS rollout at the beginning of this month.
The government has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, with around 40 million available by the end of March.
Sir John, Oxford University's regius professor of medicine, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he expects MHRA approval "pretty shortly".
He said: "They got data quite a long time ago but that was the first set of data.
"They receive multiple sets of data.
"So we are getting to be about prime time now, I would expect some news pretty shortly.
"I doubt we'll make Christmas now, but just after Christmas I would expect.
"I have no concerns whatsoever that the data looks better than ever."
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick also told Today on Wednesday that the government is focusing on getting as many people as possible to receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
"At the moment the priority is just to ensure that as many people as possible get the first shot of the vaccine," he said.
"Remember, the second shot has to be done, depending on what the vaccine is, 21 or 28 days later and so we still haven't reached that point with the first people who were vaccinated."
Asked whether the government would consider dropping the second shot, Mr Jenrick said: "The strategy will always be kept under review but the priority today is to ensure that as many people as possible are given the first shot of the vaccine; that is what is happening."
