Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use and said that it will be rolled out from next week.

"The Government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use," the government said.

"The vaccine will be made available across the UK from next week."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the approval was "very good news".

He told the BBC that 800,000 doses will arrive next week with several million more doses to arrive after.

The Pfizer shot has been shown to be about 95 per cent effective against the virus but the vaccine must be stored at extremely low temperatures, making it more difficult to be distributed widely.

Hancock acknowledged it would be a challenge to ensure the doses were transported and stored correctly but said the NHS was ready to begin the rollout starting next week with 50 hospitals ready to receive the vaccine.

Meanwhile the US and the European Union also are vetting the Pfizer shot along with a similar vaccine made by competitor Moderna. A third promising vaccine has been developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.

Pfizer said it would immediately begin shipping limited supplies to the UK - and has been gearing up for even wider distribution if given a similar nod by the US Food and Drug Administration, a decision expected as early as next week.

But doses everywhere are scarce, and initial supplies will be rationed until more is manufactured in the first several months of next year.

The vaccine is administered in two shots, taken 21 days apart. First in line, the UK government says, are frontline health care workers and nursing home residents, followed by older adults.