Vaccine boss suggests ‘return to normal life’ by second half of 2021

Pfizer said it had already produced 20 million doses of its vaccine (Jane Barlow/PA)

The boss of one of the companies leading the charge for a coronavirus vaccine has expressed hope that there is “a light at the end of the tunnel”.

Albert Bourla, chief executive of pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which has announced results of 95% efficacy in its vaccine, said that if vaccination was successful, normal life would return.

Speaking to Sky News he said: “As things (are) going on, until we reach herd immunity, people need to be very careful.

“They need to wear a mask, social distance.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel, it’s real. We never believed to have a vaccine of this efficiency so people need to be patient.

“I believe that the second half of 2021 will be a very different experience for a lot of us.

“I think if we will be able to vaccinate, we can go back to normal life.”

Mr Bourla said that his company had already produced 20 million doses of the vaccine and were preparing for distribution as soon as global regulatory authorities gave permission.

He said that submissions to regulators would be made within several days and that shipping would begin “a couple of hours” after being given the green light.