The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for use from next week.
The Pfizer vaccine is the first ever to be developed in just 10 months, which otherwise takes about a decade to follow all the processes involved in creating a vaccine.
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The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that the particular vaccine offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 infection.
UK health secretary Matt Hancock tweeted saying: “Help is on its way. The National Health Service stands ready to start vaccinating early next week.”
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The vaccine will be rolled out in the second week of December and immunization of people in the high-risk group is likely to begin within days.
The vaccine, which will be packed in dry ice and transported in special boxes, must be stored at around -70 Celsius.
It can be kept for up to five days in a refrigerator.
The vaccine is administered in two shots at a gap of 21 days, with the second dose being a booster.
Pfizer is an mRNA vaccine that uses a tiny fragment of genetic code from the Covid-19 virus to train the human body on how to fight against it and boost immunity.
Such a vaccine has never been approved for mass immunization before, although people have received it during clinical trials.
Priority will be given to vaccinating health personnel, social care workers, staff and residents of care homes and people over 80 years.
Mass immunization of people over 50 years and younger people with pre-existing health conditions will be carried out in the country more stocks become available next year.
The UK has already ordered 40 million doses of the vaccine to vaccinate 20 million people, a report stated.
The first 10 million doses will arrive in the UK within the next couple of days.