Daily US Times: The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University is highly effective at stopping people developing coronavirus symptoms, a large trial shows.
Interim data suggests seventy percent protection, but the researchers say the figure may be as high as 90% by tweaking the dose.
The trial results will be seen as a triumph, but come after Moderna and Pfizer vaccines showed 95% protection.
However, the Oxford University vaccine is far cheaper and is easier to get to every corner of the worldn and store than the other two.
So the vaccine will play a significant role in tackling the coronavirus pandemic, if it is approved for use by regulators.
Prof Sarah Gilbert, the vacine’s architect, said: “The announcement today takes us another step closer to the time when we can use vaccines to bring an end to the devastation caused by [the virus].”
The government of the UK has pre-ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine, and AstraZeneca says it will make three billion doses for the world next year.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his joy by saying it was “incredibly exciting news” and that while there were still safety checks to come, “these are fantastic results”.
The vaccine has been developed in an incredible speed which took around 10 months, a process that normally takes a decade.
There are two results from the trial of more than 20,000 volunteers in Brazil and the UK.
Overall, there were 30 cases of Covid-19 in people who had two doses of the vaccine and 101 cases in people who received a dummy injection.
The researchers said the vaccine worked out at 70% protection, which is better than the seasonal flu jab.
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