The Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech has been approved in the UK, paving the way for vaccination to start next week.

The jab has been shown in studies to be 95% effective and works in all age groups.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “The Government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer/BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for use.

“This follows months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA who have concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.

“The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will shortly also publish its latest advice for the priority groups to receive the vaccine, including care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable.

“The vaccine will be made available across the UK from next week.”

Matt Hancock said that the UK was the first country in the world to have a “clinically authorised vaccine” to roll out.

He told Sky News the Joint Committee on Vaccine and Immunisation (JCVI) would set out its priority list later on Wednesday.

“This is fantastic news. The MHRA, the fiercely independent regulator, has clinically authorised the vaccine for rollout.

“The NHS stands ready to make that happen.

“So, from early next week we will start the programme of vaccinating people against Covid-19 here in this country.”

Mr Hancock added: “As we know from earlier announcements, this vaccine is effective.

“The MHRA have approved it as clinically safe. And we have a vaccine, so it’s very good news.”

On the challenge posed by the need for the vaccine to be stored at an ultra-low temperature, he added: “This is a challenging rollout and the NHS in all parts of the UK stands ready to make that happen.

“They are used to handling vaccines and medicines like this, with these sorts of conditions.

“It’s not easy but we’ve got those plans in place, so this morning I spoke to my counterparts in the devolved nations to make sure that we are all ready to roll out this vaccine … from early next week.”