Oxford vaccine expected to gain approval within days – follow live

As the new coronavirus variant spreads rapidly from the UK across the globe, the leader of the firm behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine said he believed researchers had found the “winning formula” using two doses, raising hopes it is more effective than first thought.

AstraZeneca chief Pascal Soriot said the firm would publish the results, amid reports that the UK’s medicines regulator could approve the jab within days. According to The Sunday Telegraph, the Oxford vaccine could be rolled out from as soon as 4 January.

Meanwhile, scientists are calling on the government to put the entire country under tier 4 lockdown restrictions, which would see all non-essential shops, close-contact services and leisure and entertainment venues closing alongside the hospitality sector.

The highly contagious new variant of coronavirus has been detected in every part of the UK and has been reported elsewhere in the world, including Japan, Denmark, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Canada, Sweden and Spain.