Covid-19: Oxford University vaccine is very effective

The coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford is very effective in preventing people from developing symptoms of Covid-19, according to a large trial.

Provisional data suggests 70% protection, but researchers say the figure could reach 90% by adjusting the dose.

The results will be considered a triumph, but after the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have shown 95% protection.

However, the Oxford jab is much cheaper, and easier to store and access around the world than the other two.

The vaccine will therefore play an important role in the fight against the pandemic, if approved for use by regulators.

“Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to when we can use vaccines to stop the devastation caused by [the virus]Said vaccine architect Professor Sarah Gilbert.

The UK government has pre-ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine from Oxford, and AstraZeneca says it will manufacture three billion doses for the world next year.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this was “incredibly exciting news” and that while there were still security checks to come, “these are fantastic results”.

Speaking at a briefing in Downing Street on Monday evening, Mr Johnson added that the majority of people most in need of a vaccination in the UK may be able to get one before Easter.

And Professor Andrew Pollard – director of the Oxford vaccination group – said it had been “a very exciting day” and paid tribute to the 20,000 volunteers participating in the trials around the world, including more than 10,000 in the UK. United.

The vaccine was developed in about 10 months, a process that normally takes a decade.

There are two results from the trial of over 20,000 volunteers in the UK and Brazil.

Overall, there have been 30 cases of Covid in people who received two doses of the vaccine and 101 cases in people who received a sham injection. The researchers said it worked at 70% protection, which is better than the seasonal flu vaccine.

No one who received the vaccine developed severe Covid or required hospital treatment.

Professor Andrew Pollard, principal investigator of the trial, said he was “really happy” with the results because “it means we have a vaccine for the world.”

However, protection was 90% in an analysis of around 3,000 people in the trial who received a first half-size dose and a second full-size dose.

Professor Pollard said the discovery was “intriguing” and would mean “we would have many more doses to distribute”.

The scan also suggested that there was a reduction in the number of people infected without developing symptoms, who would still be able to spread the virus.

In the UK, four million doses of the Oxford vaccine are ready for use. But nothing can happen until the vaccine has been approved by regulators who will assess the vaccine’s safety and efficacy and is manufactured to high standards. This process will take place in the coming weeks.

It is also not known who will receive this vaccine or other vaccines ordered by the government.

However, the UK is gearing up to hit the go button for an unprecedented mass vaccination campaign that overshadows annual flu or childhood immunization programs.

Residents and nursing home staff will be the first in the line, followed by healthcare workers and those over 80. The plan then is to go through the age groups.

It takes a completely different approach to the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which inject part of the genetic code of the virus into patients.

The Oxford vaccine is a genetically modified cold virus that infected chimpanzees.

It has been modified to prevent it from causing infection in humans and to carry blueprints for part of the coronavirus, known as the spike protein.

Once these blueprints are inside the body, they begin to produce the coronavirus spike protein, which the immune system recognizes as a threat and tries to crush it.

When the immune system actually comes into contact with the virus, it will know what to do.

There is no simple answer.

One idea is that the immune system rejects the vaccine, which is built around a common cold virus, if it is given at too large an initial dose.

Or a low then high shot may be a better mimic of a coronavirus infection and lead to a better immune response.

After Pfizer and Moderna both produced vaccines that offered 95% protection against Covid-19, a figure of 70% is still very effective, but will be seen by some as relatively disappointing.

But it’s still a vaccine that can save lives from Covid-19 and is more effective than a vaccine against seasonal flu.

It also has crucial advantages that make it easier to use. It can be stored at refrigerator temperature, which means it can be distributed to all corners of the world, unlike Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which must be stored at much cooler temperatures.

The Oxford vaccine, priced at around £ 3, is also significantly cheaper than vaccines from Pfizer (around £ 15) or Moderna (£ 25).

And the Oxford technology is more established, so the vaccine is easier to mass-produce at a lower cost. AstraZeneca also made a “non-profit pledge”.

A vaccine is what we’ve spent the year waiting for and what the lockdowns saved us time for.

However, producing enough vaccine and then vaccinating tens of millions of people in the UK, and billions around the world, remains a daunting challenge.

Life will not return to normal tomorrow, but the situation could improve dramatically as those most at risk are protected.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast we would be “something closer to normal” by the summer, but “until we can get this vaccine up and running we all have to take care of each other “.

Professor Peter Horby, from the University of Oxford but not involved in the trial, said: “This is very good news, we can clearly see the end of the tunnel now. There has been no d hospitalization or Covid death in people who have received the Oxford vaccine. “

Dr Stephen Griffin, University of Leeds, said: “This is again great news and should be seen as extremely exciting. It has great potential to be disseminated across the world, realizing enormous benefits for public health.

England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty has expressed an “absolutely huge thank you” to people across the country who are volunteering for studies on Covid-19.

“Because as we have said many times, only science is going to get us out of this hole,” he said, adding that “it will be a long journey.”

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