'We can see the end of the coronavirus tunnel': Scientists hail Oxford University vaccine breakthrough

Watch: Oxford COVID vaccine ‘up to 90% effective’

Scientists have hailed the news of the latest successful trial of a coronavirus vaccine, saying they “can see the end of the tunnel”.

The results of a large-scale trial of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is being developed by the University of Oxford and manufacturer AstraZeneca, have been welcomed by health experts and the government.

England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty tweeted that it was a “very encouraging step forward”.

Overall, the vaccine was revealed to be 70% effective against coronavirus. However, it can be up to 90% effective when one half dose is given followed by a full dose at least one month apart.

The UK has placed orders for 100 million doses of the vaccine, enough to vaccinate most of the population if it is approved. Health secretary Matt Hancock said life in the UK could return to normal after Easter.

The government has also ordered 40 million doses of a jab from Pfizer and BioNTech that has been shown to be 95% effective.

Another jab from Moderna is also 95% effective, trials have shown – the UK has ordered 5 million doses.

Commenting on Monday’s AstraZeneca vaccine announcement, Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases and global health at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, said: “This is very welcome news, we can clearly see the end of the tunnel now.

“There were no COVID hospitalisations or deaths in people who got the Oxford vaccine.

“Importantly, from what we have heard the vaccine seems to prevent infection not just disease. This is important as the vaccine could reduce the spread of the virus as well as protect the vulnerable from severe disease.”

He pointed out that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine can be stored in a fridge, unlike the Pfizer and Moderna jabs, making it a “more practical solution for use worldwide”.

One member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said the latest vaccine news could mean social restrictions being eased by spring.

Dr Michael Tildesley, associate professor in infectious disease modelling at the University of Warwick, told Times Radio: “The vaccine is on the horizon.

“We’ve had some great news about three different vaccines over the last three weeks.

“I would say I’m more hopeful that by the spring we might be starting to ease out of these restrictions.”

Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said: “These preliminary results are impressive and add to optimism that we can use vaccination to prevent COVID-19.

“The report that an initial half-dose is better than a full dose seem counterintuitive for those of us thinking of vaccines as normal drugs: with drugs, we expect that higher doses have bigger effects (and more side-effects), but the immune system does not work like that.

“The report that an initial half-dose then a full dose is even better than two full doses is great news, potentially increasing the number of people that can be vaccinated and reducing costs.”

Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said: “This vaccine candidate also requires refrigeration storage rather than the ultra-low temperatures of the Pfizer candidate.

“Oxford have previously confirmed that there would be some level of distribution to low-and-middle-income countries so this may also be good news around the subject of equitable access to vaccine development with a product that is much easier to store and distribute.

“The pandemic is everyone’s problem at least until the vast majority of the globe is vaccinated, not just the rich countries.”

The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab could start to be rolled out in the UK from next month, with the bulk of vaccination in the new year.

Boris Johnson tweeted: “Incredibly exciting news the Oxford vaccine has proved so effective in trials.

“There are still further safety checks ahead, but these are fantastic results.”

Professor Andrew Pollard, chief investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial at Oxford, said: “These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives.”

Pascal Soriot, chief executive officer at AstraZeneca, said the news is an “important milestone” in the fight against the pandemic.

Watch: How do the Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines compare?

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