Matt Hancock prepared to have Covid vaccine early 'to show confidence'

23 November 2020, 08:55

Matt Hancock offers to have Covid vaccine first 'to show confidence'

As the NHS is set to deliver coronavirus vaccines from next month, Matt Hancock tells LBC he is prepared to have the jab early in order to demonstrate his confidence to the public.

This comes as trials show the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University can prevent 70 per cent of people from getting Covid-19.

Oxford University said that interim analysis from its phase three vaccine trial shows that the 70% effectiveness comes from combining two doses.

One was 90% effective, the other 62%.

The tests show the jab is also effective in preventing many people developing symptoms and it has been shown to work in different age groups, including the elderly.

Matt Hancock on Oxford vaccine

LBC's Nick Ferrari asked the Health Secretary whether one vaccine is superior to the others from the offerings of AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer.

"All three are showing that they are effective," said Mr Hancock, "all three are now going to be looked at by the regulator to double triple check that they are safe, and then all three have different properties in the roll-out as well, and we've ordered different numbers of the different vaccines."

He told LBC that the Government has ordered 100 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

"I'm prepared, if the public want it, to go in early to show I have confidence," Mr Hancock said, "if a regulator signs of a vaccine then I will have every confidence to take it."

The UK has enough doses to vaccinate most of the population - with rollout expected in the coming weeks if the jab is approved.

It also has orders for 40 million doses of a jab from Pfizer and BioNTech, which has been shown to be 95% effective.

Another jab from Moderna is 95% effective, according to trial data.