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Covid-19: Vaccine roll-out is 'best Christmas present' region could have wished for

A coronavirus vaccine was today hailed as “the perfect Christmas present” – as it was revealed the first doses could be given next week.

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Health chiefs are awaiting NHS guidance before next week's roll out of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which has been shown to be 95 per cent effective and works in all age groups.

Around 40 million doses have been ordered, with 800,000 arriving next week for priority groups including care home staff and residents, the over-80s and health care workers.

MPs today hailed the news as a "hugely important milestone" in combatting the virus but warned that mass vaccination was still months away.

Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb, said: "This is the best Christmas present we could wish for and it shows there is light at the end of this dark tunnel for the country.

"Although infection rates have fallen locally, I would like to see this vaccine deployed in virus hotspots as a priority to help those on the health frontline and the vulnerable before the general population.

"However, mass vaccination is still months away and we must still do all we can to limit the spread of this virus through this winter by keeping to the restrictions. If we don’t, more lives will be lost."

Wolverhampton South East Mp Pat McFadden, the Shadow City Minister, said: "This is wonderful news and a triumph for the scientists involved.

'Brilliant'

"It normally takes many years for vaccines to be developed. The fact that several have been produced in less than a year is evidence of the titanic effort that has gone into this.

"The enormous logistical task of ensuring it is properly distributed and administered remains but there is no doubt the first official approval of a vaccine is a hugely important milestone in what has been a very tough year."

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said it was "brilliant news" about the vaccine, and added: "Let's get through these final weeks and months without putting people at risk and get us out of Tier 3 as soon as possible."

NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: "Hospitals will shortly kick off the first phase of the largest scale vaccination campaign in our country’s history."

Other vaccines including the University of Oxford's and AstraZeneca are understood to be close to approval.

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