The Oxford scientists are extraordinarily confident that their vaccine against the coronavirus will work.
The government’s chief medical officer insists a jab is still 12 to 18 months off and some form of social distancing will be needed until it’s in widespread use.
But the team at the Jenner Institute, part of University of Oxford, believe they’ll have a million doses and proof that it’s safe and effective by September – just five months away.
Their confidence is built on past success. The same vaccine technology has been used on other diseases, including the related coronavirus MERS, as well as Ebola.
ChAdOx1, pronounced “Chaddox-one”, is a version of a common cold virus that has been modified not only so that it doesn’t cause symptoms, but also so it carries some genetic material of the coronavirus.
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It infects human cells, turning them into factories producing one of the viral proteins, which in turn trigger an immune response and should protect people against future infection.
Using tried and tested technology allows scientists to speed up the clinical trials. The medical regulators are satisfied that ChAdOx1 is robust and broadly safe, so the researchers can begin trials on healthy volunteers far sooner.
Source : skynews
