The news about the Pfizer vaccine has persuaded Tory MPs that there is now a route out of this crisis, and that this country can avoid being dragged into a cycle of lockdowns, I say in the magazine this week.
No. 10 is being deliberately cautious about the vaccine. There are huge logistical obstacles to overcome before the vaccine can be rolled out. It needs to win approval from the regulators (although if it passes the safety test, that should happen quickly). It must also be kept colder than the North Pole until it is sent out to be delivered to patients.
But in Whitehall the view is that Pfizer’s vaccine breakthrough will be followed by others, because the apparent success shows that a mRNA vaccine (rather than one using a weakened or dead form of the virus) can work.
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