Britain on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, as it battles a major winter surge driven by a new, highly contagious variant of the virus, Reuters reported.

Matt Hancock, UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care said that the vaccine will be made available to some of the poorest regions of the world at a low cost, helping protect countless people from this awful disease.

"It is a tribute to the incredible UK scientists at Oxford University and AstraZeneca whose breakthrough will help to save lives around the world. I want to thank every single person who has been part of this British success story. While it is a time to be hopeful, it is so vital everyone continues to play their part to drive down infections," he added.