Pfizer covid 19 vaccine: Who go get di vaccine first for UK? plus answers to oda questions as United Kingdom approve immunisation for mass distribution

    • Author, Michelle Roberts
    • Role, Health editor, BBC News online

UK don become di first kontri for di world to approve di Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use.

British regulator, di MHRA, say di vaccine wey offer up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, dey safe for distribution.

Immunisations fit start within days for people for groups wit high priority.

Di UK don already order 40m doses wey dey enough to vaccinate 20m people, wit two shots each.

Around 10m doses go dey available soon and di first doses go dey enta UK any time soon.

Na im be di fastest ever vaccine wey go come to reality since di outbreak of Covid- 19, wey take only 10 months to develop, vaccine production dey mormally take more than 10 years.

Although vaccination fit begin, but pipo need to still dey careful and follow coronavirus rules to stop di spread, experts tok.

E mean say make pipo continue to obey di social distancing and face masks, and testing wey fit get di virus and asking dem to isolate.

Who go get am first?

Sabi pipo don draw up min di mean time priority list, e target pipo wey dey at highest risk. Top for di list na care home residents and staff, followed by pipo of over 80 and oda health and social care workers.

Dem go receive di first stocks of di vaccine - some as soon as next week. Mass immunisation of everyone over 50, as well as younger pipo wey get pre-existing health conditions, go happun as more stocks become available for 2021. Dem go give dem like two injections, 21 days apart, di second dose go be like booster.

Wetin be di vaccine?

Di vaccine na new type dem dey call mRNA vaccine wey dey use tiny fragment of genetic code from di pandemic virus to teach di body how to fight Covid-19 and build immunity.

An mRNA vaccine neva dey approved for pipo to use before, although pipo don receive am for clinical trials.

Di vaccine must dey stored at around -70C and go dey transported inside special boxes, packed inside dry ice. Once dem deliver am, dem fit keep am for up to five days inside fridge.