The government says 30 million doses could be available across the UK in September if the medical trial turns out well.
According to the government, 30 million vaccine doses could be available across the UK in September – if a vaccine being developed at the University of Oxford works.
Researchers there are developing a vaccine for COVID-19 based on genetic manipulation of a common cold virus which normally infects chimpanzees.
In Sunday’s daily briefing, Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the first clinical trials were « progressing well » with all of the volunteers for phase one of the trials receiving their dose earlier this week.
The trials of the vaccine – officially known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (pronounced Chaddox One) – began on 24 April to see whether it can effectively protect healthy people from the virus.
How is the trial working?
The researchers have recruited up to 1,102 participants across multiple laboratories in Oxford, Southampton, London and Bristol.
These volunteers have been randomly allocated either a real dose of the trial vaccine or a meningitis vaccine.
An even smaller group of 10 volunteers are going to receive two doses of the candidate vaccine four weeks apart.
Who is participating?
The volunteers are aged between 18 and 55, and must not have tested positive for COVID-19.
