The first phase of the rollout program is expected to begin on Tuesday.

England's deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van Tam, says 99% of covert 19 deaths could be prevented if there's a very high uptake of jabs in the most vulnerable groups.

It comes on the day that the UK recorded the deaths of more than 60,000 people with coronavirus, one of the highest death tolls in the world.

Here's our health editor.

Shoot him.

He was the sole mate to my grandmother and he was my best friend.

He put small on anyone's face.

Is he met on?

He brought sunshine on the rainy days.

Olivia remembers happier times with her granddad Gary.

He died in hospital with co vid.

He did have underlying health issues, but he was just 61.

His funeral was on Tuesday.

Before you passed the way, we were able to say goodbye on facetime Ondas Muchas this lovely were able to say goodbye that way.

I just wish you were able to hold his hand and let him know it was okay.

Mickey died last month after being diagnosed with co vid.

His family say he'll be much missed in the community.

He wasn't in bad health leading up leading up to contracting Cove it.

His daughter in law, Anna, said he was a local Bristol legend.

Speed of it, shock of it has left us or absolutely devastated were reeling from it.

We can't believe it happened.

He was he was larger than life.

Andi, I you know, I always say I thought he would outlive all of us.

All this a reminder of the cruel reality of co vid on why vaccine doses like these are so important.

Some have been brought into the UK on Eurotunnel from the manufacturer of fighters plant in Belgium.

Phase one of the rollout will start next week, and health leaders are encouraged if we can get through the Phase one.

Um Andi.

It's a highly effective vaccine on There is very, very high uptake.

Then we could, in theory, take out 99% of hospitalizations and deaths.

Some major hospitals like this one have bean designated as vaccine centers.

It's understood that the policy in England will require them to prioritize patients who are 80 or over, for example, those coming in for appointments.

NHS staff on care home workers will be invited in for their jobs.

The first minister said Scotland's vaccinations would start on Tuesday.

That will be a significant landmark in our collective struggle against the virus.

And although we still have difficult months ahead, the awareness that vaccination is starting well, I'm sure many of us feel more hopeful as we enter the Christmas period.

For the families of Mickey and Gary, there are mixed feelings after news that the vaccine is about to become a reality.

Maybe he was only 61.

Maybe he could have had longer.

And I can't look at the vaccine.

No, in we couldn't see them is too late for him.

I, you know, I could only employ everybody that that is often the vaccine Thio take.

Take it because you do not want to find yourself or a precious loved family member like Mickey.

In a similar situation, the vaccine is on its way.

Military and NHS staff have been setting up specialist hubs like this one at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, but the wider population may have to wait a little while to get their chance toe have it.

Hugh Pym, BBC News.

So the first doses of vaccine are here, but it may well be many months.

Yet before any resemblance of normal life returns, scientists say, we will be living with these restrictions on our lives for some time to come.

Our science editor, David Shipman, looks at the new vaccines on the way ahead a gloomy afternoon, though at least there's now a pathway out of the pandemic with the prospect of the first vaccine to keep people safe.

So what questions remain unanswered?

Well, the first is How long will immunity last after you've bean vaccinated?

Well, that's still not clear.

Studies show that the injections three weeks apart, massively reduced the severity of the disease.

But scientists don't know if that protection keeps going.

We have no clear idea at the moment about how long natural immunity so immunity following the infection with the virus or, indeed, immunity.

That's bean generated through vaccination, how long it will last.

We would certainly hope it will last several months, if not years, so it's possible will need an annual vaccination.

As with the winter flu, all this has to be worked out.

Next.

Will the vaccine stop the spread of the virus?

If you've had the vaccine, you could still carry the virus without knowing on maybe pass it to people around you if they've yet toe have their jobs.

That's because the vaccine will be injected into the arm to create antibodies to fight the effects of the disease.

But the virus itself may still be present in the nose and throat, so it's possible that someone vaccinated may be able to infect others.

No one could yet be sure.

Could be.

The vaccination could allow the virus to carry on, replicating in the nose but not actually causing symptoms.

And that could mean that actually, you can still be a vector despite having being vaccinated and despite being personally protected.

Then there's the question of how many people need tohave.

The vaccine.

The mawr infectious the virus, the more it matters to get a high proportion of the population vaccinated at least 90% for measles, more like 66% for co vid the Mawr people who can receive the vaccine on get it, the less the virus has a chance to thread in the community, and therefore we minimize the risk to those vulnerable people in whom the vaccine doesn't really work as well as it might.

Eso getting the vaccine once it's available is something you can really do to help protect other people as well as protecting yourself.

So everything hinges on making sure as many people as possible say yes to the vaccine until they've had it to keep following the guidance about staying safe.

David Shipman, BBC News.

So the UK is the first in the world to approve the fires of vaccine.

Confidence in its safety is critical.

Yet the speed of it'll has been criticized by some, including the top infectious disease expert in the U.

S.

Anthony Fauci.

Our health editor, Hugh Pym is with me, and tonight he has rather changed his tune.

Yes, Sophie.

There's been a bit of sniping, both from European health officials on politicians and those in the US about the Ciara's decision to approve the Pfizer vaccine yesterday ahead of other leading regulators and Dr Anthony Fauci, Remember the White House Coronavirus Task Force said in media interviews, quotes The U.

K didn't do it carefully.

It rushed through the approval.

But in a BBC interview tonight, he's rather road back.

Here's what he had to say by way of explanation.

Our process is one that takes more time than was taken with the U.

K.

And that just is the reality.

I did not mean to apply any sloppiness, even though it came out that way.

So if it did, I just want to set the record straight.

I have a great deal of confidence and what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulatory standpoint, if I somehow came across differently, I apologize for that.

Well, there was a hint there, and he went on to explain that in the US they felt that it was necessary not to be seen to be rushing things through because of sensitivities around the vaccine debate on the politics off it.

And it just shows how keen regulators are to show that they have gone to every possible length to make sure these vaccines are safe and not allow the anti vax campaigners to exploit the situation.