Covid vaccine could be ‘the end of this nightmare’ - MP says

Peter Kyle, MP for Hove and Portslade said a vaccine that could prevent people from getting Covid-19 is a “key step towards normality”.

However, the Labour politician was quick to warn that now is not the time to “count our chickens”, as the drug continues to be tested.

He was speaking to The Argus after it was announced yesterday that the first effective Covid vaccine could prevent more than 90% of people from contracting the virus.

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Mr Kyle said: “A vaccine is a key step towards normality but right now that doesn’t mean we should take our eye off the ball when it comes to testing and tracing.

“Hopefully, the end is in sight but it is still a very long way off. Let’s take heart from it and not count our chickens too early.

“A potential vaccine points to the end of this nightmare. For most of us, that reality won’t come for many months yet.”

The vaccine, which was developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, has been tested on 43,500 people in six countries with no safety concerns raised.

In a public address, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate up to 20 million people - had been ordered.

Hove and Portslade MP Peter Kyle

A second lockdown is currently in place across England to combat the rising rates of coronavirus.

Mr Kyle added: “People are catching Covid today and will die in the next couple of weeks. That is the reality of life today that we have to focus on.”

“A potential vaccine isn’t saving any lives at the moment so we need to stay focused on the reality of life today in the midst this lockdown and pandemic which is killing hundreds of people every day in our country.”

On Saturday, hundreds of people flocked to Brighton seafront in protest against the latest lockdown measures introduced by the government.

Organised by Louise Creffield, the Brighton organiser of Save Our Rights UK, the event saw crowds gather to demonstrate against the rules.

The 34-year-old said she was sceptical about the news of a potential solution.

She said: “The vaccine has come through very quickly, which is concerning.

The majority of safety testing takes between five and 10 years so for one to come through this quicky is concerning I’m not excited.

“You have to be mindful of the vaccines that were rushed through before coronavirus - like SARS and swine flu.

“I’m all about choice, if people want to get it then that is up to them, but I have some misgivings.”

Older care home residents and care home staff are at the top of a preliminary priority list published by the government to receive the vaccine first, followed by health workers.