COUNTY health chiefs have welcomed news the world’s first coronavirus vaccine had shown it could prevent more than 90 per cent of people from getting COVID-19 in early results.
The vaccine is being developed by pharmaceutical firms BioNTech and Pfizer and is currently in the final stage of testing.
The UK government is hoping to roll out millions of doses before the end of the year should it be approved at the end of this month.
Developers on Monday described it as the first effective Covid-19 vaccine in the world and said it was a ‘great day for science and humanity’.
Their vaccine has been tested on 43,500 people in six countries and no safety concerns have been raised.
Dr Kathryn Cobain, Director for Public Health in Worcestershire said: “I welcome the positive news about a vaccine.
“A vaccine will be another important part of our defence against Covid-19 and these scientific developments give us cause to be optimistic for 2021.
“While we wait for the vaccine to go through the final stages of the scientific process, we can protect ourselves and everyone we love by remembering to keep our distance, wash our hands and use face coverings where necessary.”
