Which Covid-19 vaccines has the UK ordered?

16 November 2020, 14:50 | Updated: 16 November 2020, 19:09

The coronavirus vaccine developed by US company Moderna may prevent 94.5% of people from getting Covid-19, it has been announced. But what are the UK Covid vaccine orders? And has the UK ordered the Moderna vaccine?

The development of Covid-19 vaccines from companies including, Pfizer BioNtech and Moderna are proving highly successful - but which ones has the UK ordered?

With promise of vaccinations beginning in the UK from December, Boris Johnson's government have already given details of which products they have invested in and already ordered.

So, what are the UK Covid vaccine orders? And did the UK order the Moderna Covid vaccine? Here are the facts:

Read more: US Moderna vaccine could prevent 94.5% of people from getting Covid

Read more: Janssen Covid vaccine: Major trial launches in UK

What Covid-19 vaccines are being developed?

Since coronavirus emerged towards the end of last year, almost 200 vaccine candidates have been put into development. At least 15 of these have since reached human trials.

Experts have said that vaccines being developed by Oxford university and in Germany could be ready this year, with other candidates in the US, Russia and China also looking promising.

Pfizer/BioNtech was the first vaccine company to share information about the final stages of vaccine testing, after revealing on 9 November that their jab could prevent more than 90% of people getting Covid-19.

And on Monday, interim data from the US firm Moderna suggested its vaccine is highly effective in preventing people getting ill and also works across all age groups, including the elderly.

"Of course" Health Sec says he supports restricting anti-vax messages online.

Trial results are also expected in the next few weeks on a vaccine being developed by British drug manufacturer AstraZeneca and scientists at the University of Oxford.

Meanwhile, data on a Russian vaccine called Sputnik V has also been released, and based on interim results from a phase 3 trial, the same stage reached by the Pfizer jab, Russian researchers report that it is 92% efficient.

Results from teams working on trials including the Janssen trial, the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and Sinopharm in China, and the Gamaleya Research Institute in Russia are also expected soon.

However, a trial in Brazil for a drug developed by the Chinese firm Sinovac has been suspended after the death of a volunteer.

Sage member dismisses claims Covid vaccine is being rushed through as "nonsense"

Which Covid vaccines has the UK ordered?

The UK government has currently secured access to seven different candidate vaccines.

In total, more than 350 million doses of different types of vaccines have been "pre-ordered" by the UK government.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed on Monday that the government has secured 5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine.

The UK should get 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine by the end of 2020, with a further 30 million doses already ordered.

Astra Zeneca/Oxford has agreed to supply 100 million doses of its vaccine to the UK, should it prove successful.

A government spokesperson said: “To date, the UK government has secured early access to 350 million vaccines doses through agreements with six separate vaccine developers.

"This includes 40m doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine, which is based on the same platform as Moderna’s vaccine and if approved by the medicines regulator, is expected to begin delivery as early as December 2020.”

Dr Vanderslott on Covid-19 vaccine transparency