Moderna vaccine gets approval for use in the UK

A third vaccine to protect people against Covid-19 has been approved for use in the UK.

That means that the people in charge of approving medicines here, the MHRA, have said that it is safe.

Called the Moderna vaccine, it's made by a US company of the same name.

The UK has ordered 17 million doses of the new vaccine, though it's unlikely supplies will be available until the spring.

The Government's Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "This is further great news and another weapon in our arsenal to tame this awful disease."

The minister also reminded people they must continue following rules on social distancing.

How quickly will people get vaccinations?

The Moderna vaccine will join two that are already being used in the UK: the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

While the three approved vaccines work in slightly different ways, they all involve putting special substance into the body in an injection.

It's not enough to give you the disease, but it helps the body to recognise the virus and fight it in the future.

Around 1.5 million people in the UK have already had at least one dose of a vaccine.

Experts have drawn up a list saying which order people should get the jab.

First NHS workers and people who are at the highest risk of becoming seriously ill if they get Covid-19, like very old people.

There are no plans to give the injection to children at the moment.