A Hackney man has been made an OBE for his crucial work in the government's Vaccines Taskforce.

Oliver Excell made it onto the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours list after working closely with global pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer to secure the supply of Covid vaccines for the UK population.

Since July 2020, Oliver has worked closely with the taskforce to ensure the success of the vaccination programme.

However, while "absolutely shocked" at the news, Oliver stressed, it was an "incredible" team effort.

He added: "The Vaccines Task Force, in collaboration with industry, academia, and the NHS has achieved what many thought was impossible at the start of the pandemic – developing and deploying a Covid-19 vaccine in less than 12 months.

"This is a testament to the incredible vision and leadership of the Vaccines Task Force, and a fantastic diverse team of highly talented people."

More than 42 million people in Britain have so far received their first dose.

Ham & High: Hackney resident Oliver Excell (top right) with his family.Hackney resident Oliver Excell (top right) with his family. (Image: Courtesy of the Excell family)