Empty vial of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, lot number FF2153, expiry date 11/2021, from the Science Museum NHS COVID-19 vaccination centre, 2021

Once diluted, this vial contained enough vaccine for 6 doses. The COVID-19 vaccine created by Pfizer in collaboration with BioNTech was developed, tested and approved in less than a year. It works by introducing into the body a messenger RNA (mRNA) sequence that contains the genetic instructions for the vaccinated person’s own cells to produce the vaccine antigens and generate an immune response – priming the body for an infection from COVID-19. It is the first vaccine using mRNA technology approved for human use. The vaccine was approved in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on 2nd December 2020 – becoming the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for general use.

After weeks of careful planning and installation, the NHS COVID-19 Vaccination Centre at the Science Museum first welcomed people to receive their COVID-19 vaccine on 11 March 2021. Run by NHS staff and volunteers, the clinic delivered over 122,000 doses to people over the course of a year. People had to pre-book their appointments when invited by the NHS. When the clinic first opened, the museum was closed to visitors but reopened on 19 May 2021 for five days a week.