A Covid-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca has been approved for use in the UK, paving the way for rapid rollout, the Department of Health said.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the approval of the Oxford vaccine was “fantastic news” and confirmed that the rollout would begin on Monday, January 4.
In a tweet, he said the vaccine was 'our way out of the pandemic'.
He wrote: "Brilliant to end 2020 with such a moment of hope: the @UniofOxford / @AstraZeneca #coronavirus vaccine has today been authorised for use by @mhragovuk.
"The #coronavirus vaccine is our way out of the pandemic - now we need to hold our nerve while we get through this together."
Speaking on Sky News, he said: “I am now, with this approval this morning, highly confident that we can get enough vulnerable people vaccinated by the spring that we can now see the route out of this pandemic.
“It is going to be a difficult few weeks ahead.
“We can see the pressures right now on the NHS and it is absolutely critical that people follow the rules and do everything they can to stop the spread, particularly of the new variant of this virus that transmits so much faster.
“But we also know that there is a route out of this. The vaccine provides that route out. We have all just got to hold our nerve over the weeks to come.”
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth tweeted: “Some good news. Now let’s go hell for leather to get jabs rolled out.
“We’ve seen how more virus circulating means opportunities for variants to emerge.
“This is now a race against time.
“We need vaccination ramped up, especially for NHS staff urgently.”
The announcement comes following concerns over a new fast-spreading variant of coronavirus, concentrated in London and the south east.
The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital in London is now higher than levels recorded at the peak of the first wave of the virus.
A total of 5,371 hospital patients were confirmed as having Covid-19 as of 8am on December 29, according to the latest figures from NHS England.
During the first wave, the number of patients in London peaked at 5,201 on April 9.
Video footage has been shared of ambulances queuing outside Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel.
