We cannot slacken our resolve, Johnson insists
Prime Minister says lockdown must go on as vaccine trial raises hope that end of crisis is near
BORIS JOHNSON has warned that to “slacken our resolve” because a Covid vaccine is on the horizon would be “the biggest mistake we could make” as he insisted the lockdown must go on.
The Prime Minister said the nation “absolutely cannot rely on this news as a solution” as he dashed hopes that face masks and social distancing could soon be consigned to history.
One of his most senior scientific advisers said that even if the first vaccine is quickly approved, it would not make “any difference” to how the country gets through the second wave of coronavirus.
Mr Johnson arranged a Downing Street press conference yesterday intending to detail the latest news on mass testing, but instead spent almost the entire session trying to dampen speculation that Covid restrictions might soon be over.
He said the announcement by the drug firm Pfizer of a 90 per cent success rate for its vaccine during trials was encouraging but it was “more important than ever to follow the rules” on social distancing.
He said: “I must stress that these are very, very early days. We’ve talked for a long time about the distant bugle of the scientific cavalry coming over the brow of the hill. I can tell you that tonight, that toot of that bugle is louder, but it’s still some way off.
“We absolutely cannot rely on this news as a solution. And the biggest mistake we could make would be to slacken our resolve at a critical moment.”
He said that with the virus still spreading in England and deaths averaging 300 per day, mass testing and vaccines were still “no substitute” for the national restrictions yet.
Jonathan Van-tam, the deputy chief medical officer, said the announcement from Pfizer was a “huge milestone” but it would be a “colossal mistake” to relax at this point because “we have seen a swallow but this is very much not the summer”. He said: “Right now the message is stand fast, rather than get too overexcited about quite where we are.”
With the Pfizer vaccine yet to be peer reviewed or approved by regulators, “we don’t know what this means yet for when we can get life back to normal,” he said.
“Frankly, we’re in the middle of the second wave, and I don’t see the vaccine making any difference for the wave we are now in. I’m hopeful that it may prevent future waves, but this one we have to battle through to the end without vaccine. We have to keep pressing hard for now.”
Prof Van-tam said that even if the Pfizer vaccine passed all of the necessary safety tests, it would take between 21 and 28 days to receive the two doses needed, and a further 14 days to be sure of immunity, leaving little time for the drug to be approved in order to have a significant impact on Christmas.
He likened the current position to “getting to the end of the play-off final, it’s gone to penalties.
“The first player goes up and scores the goal. You haven’t won the cup yet, but what it does is it tells you that the goalkeeper can be beaten. And that’s where we are today, that first sign.”
Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine – enough for around a third of the population – including 10 million that could be delivered before Christmas. In t otal 300 million doses have been ordered from five other vaccine developers to maximise the chances of being able to carry out a mass inoculation programme.
Mr Johnson said he remained “buoyantly optimistic” about the prospects for the country next year but “I just don’t want to let people run away with the idea that this development today is necessarily a home run, a slam dunk, a shot to the back of the net yet. I think we’ve got a way to go. Of course it’s good news, but there’s a long way I’m afraid before we’ve got this thing beat.”
‘I must stress that these are very, very early days. The toot of that bugle is louder, but it’s still some way off’