The scientist behind the new coronavirus vaccine said the rollout could start as soon as the middle of next month.
Professor Ugur Sahin, 55, co-founder of German firm BioNTech, said the first jabs could be available to people in the UK in just weeks.
However, the timing depends on whether the UK regulator grants the vaccine a mandatory licence.
He told Sky News : "The earliest time point for supplying vaccines will not be before the middle of December.
"And the middle of December will not mean the situation will dramatically change. This will be a difficult winter. It will become worse before it becomes better."
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He said the nation "could return to normal life by the middle of next year" with help of the vaccine which is 90% effective in protecting against coronavirus.
According to Professor Sahin this is an "outstanding result" as serious scientists consider potential efficacy between 60, 70 and 80%.
The Government has secured access to 40 million doses of the jab.
And 10 million – enough for five million Britons – will be available to the UK by the end of the year.
Asked if he will be getting the vaccine, Professor Sahin: "Yes of course, I would take it on the first day I'm allowed to."
Professor Sahin and his 53-year-old wife Ozlem Tureci are co-founders of German-based BioNTech which is working with pharmaceutical outfit Pfizer - one of 12 leading coronavirus vaccine trials.
The husband and wife team, whose parents are Turkish Muslims who immigrated to Germany, have dedicated their lives to medical science and even made time for lab work on the day they got married.
Despite his new found global fame Professor Sahin said he does not own a TV and will continue to cycle to work even though the shares in his firm have surged to $21billion (£16bn).
The couple co-founded BioNTech in 2008 after setting up their previous firm Ganymed Pharmaceuticals which sold for £1.06billion in 2016.
According to German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, the couple are now among the 100 most richest people in Germany.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has invested £41.8million BioNTec, which also works on HIV and tuberculosis programmes.
Professor Sahin came across a scientific paper on a coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, in January, and noticed his antibody drugs for cancer were to those needed for potential viral vaccines.
BioNTech quickly assigned around 500 staff to work on a jab and within less than nine months they have found a potential breakthrough.
Vaccines normally take at least five years to develop.
