Moderna vaccine approved: Has UK ordered the Moderna vaccine and when will Britain get it?

Moderna said it would deliver approximately 20 million doses to the US Government this year.

Coupled with the Pfizer vaccine, the US is expecting 40 million doses before the end of the year – enough to eventually vaccinate 20 million people.

Both vaccines require two shots, with Moderna being administered 28 days apart.

Unlike the Pfizer jab, once thawed the Moderna vaccine can be kept at typical refrigerator temperatures.

However, the cost of the Moderna vaccine is much higher than that of Pfizer. Although the vaccine will be free on the NHS for UK residents, the price tag could be an indicator of how many further doses Britain buys.

During the summer, Moderna pitched it’s jab at £28 per dose – almost double that of Pfizer at £15.

Dr Zoltan Kis, research associate at the Future Vaccine Manufacturing Hub, Imperial College London, said: “Once approved by the regulatory authorities, Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine can be distributed substantially easier and at lower costs compared to the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine.”

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine will be much cheaper, with the company saying it will cost “the same as a cup of coffee”, believed to be just £3.