Britain is ready to become the first nation in the world to use Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in the coming days, initially making the treatment available at medical facilities before delivering stocks to clinics and pharmacies.

The United Kingdom's National Health Service has provided details of the official launch of the vaccine -- produced by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech -- early next week.

"This coming week will be a historic moment as we start immunization against COVID-19," Business Insider quoted Health Secretary Matt Hancock as saying.

UK officials plan to deploy the vaccine at over 1,000 health facilities across the country in the coming weeks, with the first shot expected to be administered on Tuesday.

The National Health Service said it would prioritize immunizing people who are more than 80 years old, frontline healthcare personnel, care, home staff, and residents.

Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine has been proven to be 95% safe and effective. The NHS said patients are required to return for a booster shot 21 days after the first injection.

In a statement, NHS national medical chief Stephen Powis said the agency has an impressive record of delivering massive immunization programs - from the flu jab, HPV vaccine, and MMR vaccines. "Its hardworking staff will once again rise to the challenge of protecting the most vulnerable people from this dreadful disease," according to Business Insider.

Europe has acquired 40 million doses from the companies, enough to vaccinate 20 million people on the two-dose regimen. The vaccines are expected to arrive at hospitals on Monday, with the first inoculations kicking off the following day, a media release from NHS England said.

Britain gave emergency use authorization for Pfizer's vaccine last week - leading the charge in the global race to start the most important large-scale vaccination program in history. The government has ordered 40 million doses in total, enough to protect 20 million people in the country with a 67 million population.

Around 800,000 shots are expected to be available within the first week. Preliminary doses that have arrived from Belgium are being kept in secure areas across Europe where they'll be checked for quality, health officials said.

The vaccine's distribution will eventually include mass immunization facilities in sporting venues and conference spaces, the NHS statement added.

Europe has been hit hard by the virus, on Friday registering more than 60,000 total fatalities. Counting all deaths where COVID-19 is mentioned on death certificates, the government has exceeded 75,000.