The US has given the final go-ahead for its first coronavirus vaccine, marking what could be the beginning of the end of an outbreak that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans. 

Health workers and nursing home residents are expected to receive most of the first round of 2.9million doses after the food and drug administration (FDA) authorised an rollout of the jab for people aged 16. 

President Donald trump said the first vaccination would take place ‘in less than 24 hours’ in a video message from the white house. He called the vaccine ‘one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history’ and assured it had ‘passed the gold standard of safety’

It came hours after white house chief of staff Mark meadows pressed the regulator’s chief Stephen Hahn to grant an emergency use authorisation for Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine by the end of the day or face possible firing, according to two administration officials. Mr Meadows spoke to Dr. Hahn by telephone yesterday and told him his job was in jeopardy if the go-ahead was not given before Saturday, according to a senior trump administration official.

The FDA were close to a final decision, after a panel of outside advisers to the regulator voted 17-4 to take the stance that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks of taking the shot for individuals aged 16 and older. 

Initial doses of the approved vaccine in the us are scarce and rationed as the country joins Britain and several other nations in scrambling to vaccinate as many people as possible ahead of a long, grim winter. It will take months of work to tamp down the coronavirus that has surged to catastrophic levels in recent weeks and already claimed 1.5 million lives globally. 

The move sets off what will be the largest vaccination campaign in us history – but it also has global ramifications as a role model to many other countries facing the same decision. 

CEO of BioNTech Dr. Ugur Sahin said it offers the ability ‘in this situation where the pandemic is out of control, to bring hope to the people and china and Russia did not wait for final-stage tests before beginning vaccinations with some homegrown shots. 

Some three million doses of the pfizer-biontech vaccine are expected in the first shipments around us according to officials with operation warp speed, the trump administration’s vaccine development program. A similar amount is to be held in reserve for those recipients’ second dose. 

The government still is hammering out final recommendations, but expected to follow health workers and nursing homes are other essential workers, older adults and people at high risk because of other health problems. 

US authorities do not expect enough for the general population before spring, and that is assuming there are no manufacturing glitches.