He said: “The UK is leading the way to develop a world-first vaccine for this vomiting bug, starting with this innovative vaccine trial delivered through the government-funded National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Britain could become the first country to offer norovirus jab after early trial results found it creates a “strong immune response”.

It is hoped a study will show the jab is effective against the highly infectious disease which puts the NHS under "huge strain" and costs taxpayers around £100m a year.

A groundbreaking vaccine for norovirus, the notorious winter vomiting bug, is set to enter final-stage trials in the UK within the next fortnight. Developed by Moderna using mRNA technology, the jab aims to combat three major strains of the highly contagious virus.

The world’s first norovirus vaccine is set to be trialled by the NHS in a bid to ease the strain on already stretched hospitals.

A trial in the UK will see a norovirus given to patients with the Health Secretary hoping it will cut the “burden on the NHS”.

World-first vaccine for vomiting bug norovirus trialled in the UK - The jab uses mRNA technology to tell the immune system to recognise a ‘foreign’ protein on viruses and mount an attack.