Richard welcomed the news that the first vaccinations in the UK against coronavirus have been given and thanked the NHS and the scientists who worked so hard to develop the vaccine.
This is the biggest vaccination programme in NHS history. The UK has secured 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with an initial 800,000 available from this Tuesday. The first vaccines are being administered to the most vulnerable people in the country, beginning with care home residents and their carers, all those over 80, and frontline health and social care workers. Thanks to the work of the Vaccine Taskforce, the UK has built one of the largest and most varied vaccine portfolios in the world and today the UK has become the first country to begin vaccinating people.
Commenting, Richard said: "This is a momentous occasion that provides fresh hope that we can beat this pandemic, reclaim our lives and get our economy moving again."
