It paves the way for millions more people to be immunized in the new year.

The UK government has ordered 100 million doses.

That's enough to vaccinate 50 million people.

The Oxford vaccine is much easier to transport on store than the fighter biotech one already in use.

It could be kept in a standard fridge and is also much cheaper at less than £3 a dose.

The approval of the vaccine comes as the number of deaths from the coronavirus reported in the last 24 hours approached 1000.

Our medical editor, Fergus Walt, has the details the approval of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, which is a fantastic achievement for British science.

It's a great day.

We're very proud.

This is a really significant moment in the fight against this pandemic.

It is, I think, again, the changing woman.

This is the vaccine more than any other that will eventually bring coronavirus under control.

Unlike fighters, which needs ultra low temperatures, the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine can be transported in a fridge, meaning every care home in the UK should now be in reach.

The medicines regulator said no corners had bean cut.

With this approval off the second vaccine, we are another step closer in helping to defeat this virus are clear.

Message is that you can have every confidence in the safety in the effectiveness.

Ondimba quality off covert 19 vaccine AstraZeneca.

The vaccine uses a gene from the spike shaped protein on the surface of coronavirus.

This is put inside a modified harmless virus.

The vaccine instructs human cells to make the spike protein, which prompts the immune system to create antibodies, which can recognize and destroy coronavirus on it stimulates T cells, which should destroy cells that have become infected.

So just how effective is the vaccine?

The latest estimate is it gives 70% protection against co vid.

Three weeks after the first dose, the NHS will now hold back, giving the second dose of all covert vaccines until 12 weeks so more people can get protected.

The most pragmatic thing to do is to give us many at risk.

People is possible the first dose of the vaccine because we know that from three weeks after that, first dose.

There's a very good level of protection on nobody in the clinical.

Childs, at that point after the first dose was in hospital with Covic or experienced severe disease thesis.

Now a race between the vaccine and the virus.

That means getting millions of doses approved quickly.

We're gonna ship 500 orbit more than 500,000 doses this week to start being used on Monday.

And then from there we will rapidly escalate.

The delivery is so.

I really think by the end of March we will be in a very different place.

What many want to know is, when will they get immunized?

Prime Minister, how many people will be NHS immunize every week?

Because surely it needs to be in the millions.

The best answer I can give at a moment is that we will have millions of doses tens of millions of doses by three End of march.

We're working to get the program going assed fasters.

We can I don't want to give you, uh, specific numbers.

Attn.

Moment.

Much of the production is done in the UK like here in Oxford.

Unlike the more expensive Pfizer Jab which is produced in Belgium.

There are manufacturing facilities like this all over the world, which is producing vote quantities of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

The aim is to have three billion doses of the vaccine by the end of 2021.

To deliver a safe and effective co vid vaccine in less than a year is a stunning achievement.

The challenge now to ensure rapid rollout to those who need it most on focus is with me now.

Focus.

We now have two vaccines that are disposal significant, and the achievement is that I think it's hugely important and positive news.

George.

This vaccine can be used anywhere that has a fridge.

It's a simple as that, and that's going to make it vital in controlling the pandemic.

Here in towns and villages but also across the world, Oxford always wanted to produce a global vaccine, and AstraZeneca's promised in perpetuity to provide this vaccine at cost to low and middle income countries.

And it's only if we protect the world's population that this pandemic will truly be over.

There's lots of different numbers flying around about how effective this vaccine is, but I think the key messages that even one dose should protect people from severe co vid infection prevent them needing to go into hospital, which will be vitally important at the moment.

When do you think we'll see a difference in our daily lives?

Well, every person who is immunized is another small victory against the virus, but it's not going to make a major impact for months.

Around 25 million people in the priority groups at that includes over 60 fives frontline healthcare workers, people with underlying conditions.

Now, we didn't need to immunize two million of those a week every week until Easter to make a real impact.

They're certain that would just be one dose each.

So a huge task.

All right, thanks very much.

Thank you.