Oxford vaccine team celebrates success with high-five GIFs thanking public for support

Oxford University placed its scientists at the front and centre of celebrations as they marked the successful findings of their coronavirus vaccine trials with a number of jubilant GIFs.

The AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine developed in the UK can prevent up to 90 per cent of people from getting Covid-19, according to new data.

Following the news, the university responded to the congratulations pouring in on social media with a string of animated images on Twitter usually reserved for TV show fans and football clubs.

The gifs showed some of the study’s researchers high-fiving and thanking those congratulating them under the hashtag #mondaymotivation.

Among them were scientists Federica Cappuccini and Sean Elias, both members of the Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research at Oxford.

The institute brings together various vaccine investigators, with Ms Cappuccini’s body of work including steps in finding a vaccine for prostate cancer and Mr Elias studying invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) disease.

Research assistant Ekta Mukhopadhyay, from the Department of Paediatrics, according to Oxford’s website, is also seen offering two thumbs-up in response to the positive news.

Ms Mukhopadhyay’s other works include papers on candidates for a malaria vaccine.

Trinity College congratulated the team, posting: “OMG You made a GIF?!?! How cool is that?!?!”

Lord Jim Bethell, minister of innovation, was thanked for tweeting: “Terrific news from @UniofOxfordon their vaccine. So very proud.”

The Lord Mayor of Oxford added: “Amazing work from the big brains@UniofOxford and they did it the #OxfordWay. No corners cut, no hype, no risks taken, just solid hard work. Well done to the #oxfordvaccine team. We owe you...”

Schoolchildren even proposed a design for the label of the vaccine featuring Spiderman, which was passed onto the researchers.

The Oxford trial has been closely watched as it offers one of the best hopes of a widely-available vaccine due to its relatively low cost and the fact it can be stored at fridge temperatures.

One of the dosing patterns used by the scientists suggested it is 90 per cent effective if one half dose is administered followed by a further full dose.

When one full dose was given followed by another full dose, the vaccine was 62 per cent effective – resulting in an average efficacy of 70.4 per cent when combining both dosing regimes.

Mr Hancock told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "If this all goes well in the next couple of weeks, then we are looking at the potential of starting the vaccination programme next month for this Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine as well as the Pfizer vaccine.

"But in all cases, the bulk of the roll-out will be in the New Year.

"I know that people are absolutely desperate to understand the timescales of this.

"Crucially, I think that we have got to keep the virus supressed, using mass testing and the sorts of measures and responsibilities that we all have for the next few months but we are looking with high confidence now that, from after Easter, things can really start to get back to normal."

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