Director of Public Health says the announcement by the MHRA is excellent news for our community as it is the protection of a vaccine that gives us hope.

Dr Nicola Brink believes we still have a number of actions to work through before we can immunise individuals in our community but she says this is a very exciting, and pleasing step forward in our fight against the virus.

The British regulator, The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency announced that the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, which offers up to 95% protection against COVID-19, is safe for roll-out from next week in the UK.

The Bailiwick is ready to administer the vaccine to those in our community who have been identified as a priority group.

Dr Brink says that now that the regulator has approved the vaccine, Guernsey needs to do the same thing for use in the Bailiwick.

The Prescription Only Medicines Ordinance 2020 was approved by the States in August 2020 and the amendments mean that HSC can allow a vaccine to be sold, supplied and administered in the Bailiwick for so long as the vaccine has a temporary authorisation.

The Bailiwick also requires a legal exemption which allows nurses, midwives and paramedics to administer a medicine without it being prescribed by prescription