Coronavirus vaccine ‘cannot be taken for granted', warns Boris Johnson

PM tells House of Commons there are ‘very hopeful signs’, but jab cannot be guaranteed

There may never be an effective vaccine for coronavirus, Boris Johnson has warned.

Speaking to the House of Commons, the prime minister said there were “some very hopeful signs” that a Covid-19 jab would be developed.

But he warned MPs that there is still no inoculation for the similar Sars virus, 18 years after the outbreak which killed more than 700 people worldwide in 2002.

Mr Johnson said earlier this month that he believed the “scientific equation” would change over the coming months, with progress on vaccines and testing allowing the world to get on top of coronavirus.

But asked today when he expected that to happen, he admitted it “cannot be taken for granted”.

Following the PM’s announcement of a new Covid Alert Level system in a statement to the Commons, Tory MP Steve Baker asked: “By when does (Mr Johnson) expect to have vaccinated the vulnerable population, what is his confidence in that date and why does he have that confidence?”

Mr Johnson replied: “Alas, I can’t give him a date by which I can promise confidently that we will have a vaccine. There are some very hopeful signs not least from the Oxford AstraZeneca trials that are being conducted.

“But, as he knows, Sars took place 18 years ago, we still don’t have a vaccine for Sars. I don’t wish to depress him, but we must be realistic about this.

“There is a good chance of a vaccine, but it cannot be taken for granted.”