The approval of a coronavirus vaccine could be a "passport to the reopening of society" for vulnerable and elderly people and their families after nine months of heartbreaking separation.

That is the view of the managing director of a Norfolk care home, in the wake of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's (JCVI) decision to endorse the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

The move paves the way for Covid-19 mass vaccination - with 800,000 doses due to arrive in the UK in the next few days and 10m by the end of the year.

Details of how it will be rolled out in Norfolk cannot yet be revealed, with local and national health chiefs understood to be

Those living and working in care homes are set to be among the first to be given the injections.

Raj Sehgal, owner and managing director of ArmesCare, which looks after more than 100 residents at its four care homes in West Norfolk.said the vaccination would boost people's wellbeing after months of being unable to be close to their loved ones.

Eastern Daily Press: Terrington Lodge, in Terrington St Clements, is one of four care homes owned by ArmesCare.Terrington Lodge, in Terrington St Clements, is one of four care homes owned by ArmesCare. (Image: Archant)

Mr Sehgal said: "The news of the vaccine is amazing. It's going to make a significant different to how people think and how they are going to behave as well. It's come a lot sooner than we were expecting, it could be as early as next week.

"That will make a significant difference to people's wellbeing and mental health. With 95pc effectiveness we should be able to get on with normal life.

"From our perspective we would like to see all our residents and staff vaccinated immediately. We would want the vaccine for visitors to care homes to be able to be vaccinated as well. That's equally as important."

He said it was early days to be sure about care home's indemnity in situations where people did not want the vaccine.

Eastern Daily Press: Raj Sehgal, owner and managing director of Arms Care Picture: Docking HouseRaj Sehgal, owner and managing director of Arms Care Picture: Docking House (Image: Docking House)

Mr Sehgal said: "A vaccination could be having a passport to do anything.

"It could be the reopening of society. We need to be assured this is carried through with the vast majority of the public as well.

"They have to look at facilities, how they are going to store it, administer it. There is a severe lack of professionals in our country in particular who are able to take it from delivery to administration. There are lots of questions and consent is one of them."

Also given high priority on the JCVI guidance are those who are considered clinically extremely vulnerable.

Among those who may be considered is author Laura James, from Reepham, who has a connective disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and has been shielding since March.

Eastern Daily Press: Laura James, is an author and has been shielding during the pandemic. She has said she is excited at the approved vaccine news. Picture: Tim JamesLaura James, is an author and has been shielding during the pandemic. She has said she is excited at the approved vaccine news. Picture: Tim James (Image: Archant)

She said: "I'm really excited about it. It's going in a brilliant direction. I think it is going to be a case of doctors working out which vaccination is right for each person.

"I'm very excited to get it and my mum who is 83 and living with us. I hope she will get it quickly.

"The shielding population from what I have seen on Twitter and Facebook are absolutely joyous about it. They are really really happy, I'm really happy."

She said she thought the initial problem may be the take up of the vaccine, if people were concerned about the speed in which it had been created.

Mrs James said: "It's been a global effort. If a company or someone felt they might be onto something they would have to go for funding and it would take time. With this everyone has thrown everything into it. Even though it has been six months, it could be six years in normal terms."

NHS England's chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said hospitals would shortly kick off the first phase of the largest scale vaccination in the country's history.

On Tuesday, Denise Smith, chief operating officer of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in King's Lynn, told its monthly board meeting the hospital was "absolutely ready" and had arrangements in place to vaccinate staff.

The Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (NWCCG) will help facilitate vaccinations and has been developing how to deliver the programme to those vulnerable living in rural areas.