A COVID vaccine has been approved for use in the UK - and it is expected to be rolled out as early as next week.

The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine has been proven to be 95 per cent effective in latest trials, and millions of doses have been ordered.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises UK health departments on immunisations, has now confirmed who should get it first.

SEE MORE: Covid vaccine approved by UK - Vaccination to start next week

The JCVI has said care home residents are among those who should be given the jab first.

The committee examined data on who suffers the worst outcomes from coronavirus and who is at highest risk of death.

It published interim guidance earlier in the year, but this has now been amended slightly.

In the new guidance, those who are deemed to be “clinically extremely vulnerable” have moved higher up the priority list.

The priority list for “phase one” of the Covid-19 vaccination programme is:

Here's what the guidance says:

– Residents in a care home for older adults and their carers

– All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers

– All those 75 years of age and over

– All those 70 years of age and over and people deemed to be clinically extremely vulnerable

– All those 65 years of age and over

– All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality

– All those 60 years of age and over

– All those 55 years of age and over

– All those 50 years of age and over.

Today, the Department of Health said the jab had been approved after "months of rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts" from the regulator.

Speaking to Sky, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK was the first country in the world to have a “clinically authorised vaccine”.

He added: “This is fantastic news.

“The MHRA, the fiercely independent regulator, has clinically authorised the vaccine for rollout.

“The NHS stands ready to make that happen.

“So, from early next week we will start the programme of vaccinating people against Covid-19 here in this country.”