Covid-19 vaccine: Prof Van-Tam says he would take the vaccine

England's Deputy Chief Medical Officer has said if he could, he would be at the front of the queue to be the first to get the Covid-19 vaccine - adding that the first priority should be targeting those at high risk of infection.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam was asked by the BBC's Medical Editor, Fergus Walsh, if he or the prime minister should be first in the line to have the vaccine. Prof. Van-Tam said he has "absolute trust" in the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and has told his own mother to "be ready" to get the vaccine when it is ready.

On Monday, it was announced that the world's first effective coronavirus vaccine had shown positive results in preliminary tests on 43,500 people.

Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNtech now plan to apply for emergency approval to use the vaccine by the end of November - and a limited number of people may get the vaccine this year.

11 November 2020