Coronavirus: COVID-19 Vaccine By Oxford University Will Begin Human Body Trials On Thursday (2020/04/21)

Coronavirus: COVID-19 Vaccine By Oxford University Will Begin Human Body Trials On Thursday (2020/04/21)

On April 23, a novel coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom began human clinical trials. At the same time, the United Kingdom began to manufacture about 1 million doses of vaccines. It is hoped that the clinical trial results coming out this fall will prove the safety of those 1 million vaccines.

Reported on the website of Newsweek (newsweek.com) in the United States on April 21, at a press conference held that afternoon, British Health Secretary Matthew Hancock said that two vaccines developed by British researchers have made significant progress, and one of which was ready to begin human trials on Thursday which was developed by Oxford University researchers.

Hancock said: “Typically, it takes years for vaccine development to reach this stage. I am very proud of the progress made so far in this work.”

Hancock said that as of today, 129,044 people in the UK had tested positive for coronavirus, with a total of 17,366 deaths. Hancock said that while progress was being made in vaccine research and development, the UK was not yet ready to relax restrictions on social isolation. Hancock said: “Until the five tests are completed, we will not risk our lives to lift the social isolation restrictions.” He also said that these test items included the continued decline in the infection rate and mortality in the UK after vaccination.

Hancock said that in order to support vaccine research and development, the United Kingdom would provide Oxford University researchers with 20 million pounds (about 24.58 million US dollars) for clinical trials, and an additional £ 22.5 million for the Imperial College research team . Hancock said that a vaccine developed by Imperial College of Technology entered the second stage of development.

Hancock said the government was prepared to “fully support vaccine research and development” and enthusiastically encouraged researchers at Oxford University and Imperial College. He also reminded the public that entering human trials did not ensure that the vaccine was successful. He said: “This is by no means a rigid thing.” Vaccine development is an iterative process-repeated trials. "

Hancock said that if early human tests proved to be successful, the government would be ready to move the work to the next step. He said: “We will invest in vaccine production, so that if any of these vaccines can function safely, we can provide this vaccine to the British people as soon as possible.”

Oxford University researcher Sara Gilbert said in an interview with the British Times newspaper earlier this month that if the clinical tests started this week were successful, the vaccine may be ready as early as September. Even so, when a successfully developed vaccine could be used on patients depends on the intensity of government investment in production.

According to a report released by the World Health Organization last week, there are currently more than 70 new coronary pneumonia vaccines being developed by research teams around the world.