Johnson might take COVID-19 vaccine live on TV to persuade people: UK Official

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson might take the COVID-19 vaccine live on television as a way to encourage people to get vaccinated. According to Sky News, Johnson's press secretary Allegra Stratton, while talking to reporters, said that the Prime Minister would not hesitate in taking the jab live on TV, but he would also not want to jump the queue as there are more vulnerable people than him who needs to be vaccinated first. The UK government has reportedly prepared a list of people who would be prioritised when the vaccine is deployed for the mass. 

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Johnson on Wednesday hailed the approval of Pfizer's vaccine as a "huge step" towards normality, but also warned people to not let their guards down as the country ended national restrictions in some places on December 2. Johnson urged people to follow rules in areas where restrictions continue to be in place as a measure to block the spread of the virus. The regulators in the UK on Wednesday approved the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer's mRNA-based vaccine that it has developed in association with German firm BioNTech. 

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Medical professionals to be prioritised

Johnson's government has reportedly acquired an initial 8,00,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine, which will likely be given to medical professionals as the National Health Institute (NIH) has been asked to prepare for the deployment as soon as possible. The UK government will be getting more doses of vaccine by the end of this year, which will be then deployed for the general public, and which is when the Prime Minister might get his jab as well, probably live on TV, to persuade more people into getting vaccinated. According to a survey, 20 percent of English people are not confident about the safety and efficacy of vaccines. 

Read: Vaccine 1st Puts Spotlight On German Pharma Company BioNTech

The United Kingdom became the first country in the world to give emergency use authorization to a COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer's vaccine, which was proven more than 90 percent effective last month, will now seek approval in the United States and the European Union. 

Read: UK PM Johnson Urges People To Take COVID-19 Vaccine, But Won't Make It Mandatory

(Image Credit: AP)