Vaccine by Christmas?

The 1-minute read to get the money news you need.

NHS told to prepare

The NHS is getting ready to roll out a coronavirus vaccine by early December, according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock. The announcement comes after drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech hailed a breakthrough: a 93% effective coronavirus vaccine. The government has ordered enough of it to vaccinate 20 million people, but warns there are still many hurdles to clear before life can get back to normal.

Jobless rate rises

Unemployment has risen to 4.8% for the 3 months to September as the pandemic continues to hammer the jobs market. Redundancies rose to a record high of 314,000 over the same time period. Many were let go in anticipation of the end of the furlough scheme - which never came. The scheme has now been extended to the end of March, but some experts say the extension came too late to save jobs.

Staying-in staples

Brits stocked up on alcohol and frozen food last month, ready to batten down the hatches for the November national lockdown in England. Online sales surged as shoppers once again grew cautious about in-store visits. The next feature on the horizon is Christmas, with huge uncertainty leaving people unable to plan their festive groceries.

Maccies going vegan

McDonalds has announced the McPlant, a range of vegan burgers, chicken alternatives, and breakfast sandwiches. The fast food giant is relatively late to the plant-based market, which Barclays has estimated could be worth £106 billion by 2029. The McPlant options will be available next year.