Coronavirus: Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. Frequently Asked Questions

On 2 December 2020, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted a ‘temporary authorisation’ for the first Covid-19 vaccine in the UK (the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine) meaning that it could be administered to patients. Roll-out of the vaccine began the following week, with the first NHS patient receiving the first of two doses of the vaccine on 8 December 2020. The MHRA has since granted a temporary authorisation to a second Covid-19 vaccine (the AstraZeneca vaccine) and it is now being rolled out across the UK, while a third vaccine (the Moderna vaccine) received a temporary authorisation from the MHRA on 8 January 2021. Deployment of the Moderna vaccine began in Wales on 7 April 2021, with England Following the week after.

The Government has published a UK COVID-19 vaccines delivery plan (11 January 2021). The plan sets out how Covid-19 vaccines will be supplied, prioritised for those most at risk, made accessible across the country and administered by the healthcare professionals. It has also published a COVID-19 vaccination uptake plan (13 February 2021), explaining how it intends to make sure that as many people as possible take up the offer of vaccination.

This report provides links to resources and guidance on the Covid-19 vaccine programme published by Public Health England, the NHS and other health bodies.

Background information on vaccination, published by the House of Commons and Lords Libraries, and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) is also included.

These sources and others have been used to address commonly asked questions about the Covid-19 vaccine programme. The House of Commons Library will be updated as needed.