The UK secures strong portfolio of promising vaccines

• The UK government has secured early access to 90 million vaccine doses from the BioNTech/Pfizer alliance and Valneva with more in the pipeline as part of its strategy to build a portfolio of promising new vaccines to protect the UK from COVID-19

• In addition, treatments containing COVID-19-neutralising antibodies have been secured from AstraZeneca to protect those who cannot receive vaccines

• UK public encouraged to sign up to a new NHS website to make it quicker and easier for potential volunteers to join vital studies that could help save lives – the aim is to get 500,000 people signed up by October

 The UK has secured early access to 90 million doses of promising coronavirus vaccine candidates.

Business Secretary, Alok Sharma announced today that, the government has agreed to significant partnerships with leading pharmaceutical and vaccine companies.

BioNTech/Pfizer and Valneva are developing innovative new vaccines to protect people against coronavirus.

Those who cannot take the coronavirus vaccines due to health issues are not left out in the deal.

The UK government has also secured access to treatments containing COVID-19-neutralising antibodies from AstraZeneca to protect those who cannot receive vaccines such as cancer and immunocompromised patients.

Britain had previously signed a deal with AstraZeneca to provide 100 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine being tested by Oxford University, which is expected to announce further results later Monday.

The government has today agreed on the following deals:

1. BioNTech/Pfizer – this is their first binding agreement signed with any government, and the UK has secured 30 million doses.
2. Valneva – in principle agreement for 60 million doses. If the vaccine is proven to be safe, effective and suitable, the UK has secured an option to acquire a further 40 million doses.
3. AstraZeneca – in principle agreement for one million doses of a treatment containing COVID-19 neutralising antibodies to protect those who cannot receive vaccines such as cancer and immunocompromised patients.

“Millions of people could be vaccinated against coronavirus,” the government statement said, citing the three different vaccines it has now invested in.

Although it is still unclear which if any of the vaccines will ultimately prove effective against the virus, Britain and other rich countries are already investing in the vaccines to ensure there is enough manufacturing capacity to deliver any successful candidate.

Vaccines typically take years to develop and more than a dozen are in the early stages of testing globally.