First minister describes prospect of effective vaccine as ‘a ray of hope’

Nicola Sturgeon has described the prospect of an effective coronavirus vaccine as a “ray of hope in a pretty dark tunnel” but cautioned any treatment may not provide a “way out” of current restrictions until next year.

Pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and B i o N Te c h confirmed yesterday that preliminary analysis, based on tests involving 43,500 people across six countries, had shown their jab was able to prevent more than 90% from getting Covid-19.

The companies plan to apply for emergency approval to use the vaccine, which has been used without any safety concerns, by the end of the month.

The first minister said the development was “perhaps amongst the best news we’ve had in recent weeks”, with an initial agreement already reached for Scotland to receive a population share of the

UK’s allocation if the treatment is approved.

However, Ms Sturgeon warned there is still “a long way to go” before it becomes widely available, saying: “It’s not going to provide us with a way out of this today, or tomorrow or next week or perhaps not even in this calendar year”.

She urged people to stick to the coronavirus restrictions, adding: “Today we do have that ray of hope, that speck of light on the horizon that at some point in the not too distant future we may have scientific developments that help us out of this pretty dark tunnel – as it has seemed in the last few months – that we’re in just now.

“So, please, please stick with it, because it is helping to save lives and protect the National Health Service.”

The UK has secured 40 million doses in total of the Pfizer vaccine and Scottish Health Secretary Jeane

Freeman said a national plan for distribution of a vaccine is being developed using a “variety of routes and locations”.

Final details of what volumes of the vaccine will come to the UK and over what timescale are not yet clear, she said.

Ms Fr e e m a n added: “We’ve had quite a detailed discussion about whatever those volumes are, what would be the proportion coming to Scotland and we’ve settled on it being a population share because when we do the calculations based on where we think the numbers are in terms of priority groups, the difference is minimal.”

Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Mo n i c a L ennon welcomed the “very positive and encouraging news” but called on the Scottish Government to make sure health boards are ready to receive and distribute a vaccine as soon as it is available.