Over 500 people have signed up to test the vaccine, developed by Oxford University, following trials on animals
Scientists at Oxford University are to begin human trials of a potential coronavirus vaccine next week.
Researchers said the new vaccine could be ready to be distributed for emergency use by autumn, following progress being made in the early stages of its development.
The team at Oxford University have tested the vaccine successfully on several species of animal.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) have reported that over 70 vaccines are in development for Covid-19 across the globe, which has now been contracted by over two million people and caused 128,886 fatalities worldwide.
Experts are saying however, that it could take at least 18 months before a fully developed vaccine is made widely available to millions of people.
The Oxford team consists of three separate groups of researchers from across the globe, two in the United States and one group in China who are beginning trials on humans.
Oxford vaccinologist, Professor Sarah Gilbert, has said that she is “80 per cent” confident it will be a success.
The new vaccine, being developed by clinical teams at the Jenner Institute and the Oxford Vaccine Group, could be available from as early as September.
Professor Adrian Hill, Director of the Jenner Institute, has said that the team needs increased fundraising to be able to accelerate development.
“We’re a university, we have a very small in house manufacturing facility that can do dozens of doses. That’s not good enough to supply the world, obviously,” he told the BBC World Service.”
“We are working with manufacturing organisations and paying them to start the process now.”
“So by the time July, August, September comes – whenever this is looking good – we should have the vaccine to start deploying under emergency use recommendations.”
“That’s a different approval process to commercial supply, which often takes many more years.”
“There is no point in making a vaccine that you can’t scale up and may only get 100,000 doses for after a huge amount of investment.”
“You need a technology that allows you to make not millions but ideally billions of doses over a year.”
Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser has said that it would be “very lucky” if a vaccine for COVID-19 was widely available within the next year.
Use our handy Live global stats tool top do your own research on COVID-19 around the globe:
- Cabinet Minister Robert Jenrick Broke Lockdown Rules to Visit Parents 40 Miles Away
- Prime Minister’s Father Says Boris ‘Almost Took One for the Team’
- Foreign Office to Bring Back 3,000 Stranded UK Nationals From India
- Breakthrough in Trial Using Blood Plasma to Treat Coronavirus
- Boris Johnson Has Now Left ICU After 3 Days
