Britain on Saturday appointed a vaccine minister as it prepares to inoculate millions of people against the virus, potentially starting within days.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Conservative lawmaker Nadhim Zahawi will oversee the country's biggest vaccine program in decades.

The announcement was made as the Financial Times reported that the UK is set to approve the BioNTech Pfizer vaccine next week.

The UK medicines regulator is also assessing another vaccine by Oxford University and AstraZeneca to see if they are safe and effective.

The Guardian newspaper reported that hospitals have been told they could receive the first doses of the Pfizer shot the week of December 7, if it receives approval.