Matt Hancock hopeful Covid-19 vaccine will be available next year

7 September 2020, 10:39 | Updated: 7 September 2020, 10:47

Health Secretary Matt Hancock tells LBC's Nick Ferrari that hopes of a Covid-19 vaccine is "looking up" and it is likely to be available next year.

Speaking on LBC's new phone-in Call the Cabinet, Matt Hancock said that the Government has secured 30 million doses of a vaccine from pharmaceutical AstraZeneca.

"They are starting to manufacture those doses already ahead of approval so that should approval come through, and it's still not certain, but it is looking up...then we're ready to roll out," he said.

Mr Hancock continued that the "best case scenario" is the approval happens this year but he predicts it is "more likely" to happen early next year.

"We've also bought vaccine ahead of it getting approved from a whole different series of international vaccines as well."

Call the Cabinet gives LBC listeners the chance to regularly put their questions directly to a senior member of the Cabinet, live on national radio.

The new phone-in started this morning on the station’s biggest programme, Nick Ferrari at Breakfast.

A different senior member of the government will regularly go head-to-head with LBC’s listeners on the big issues that matter to them, with no topic off-limits.