AstraZeneca announced that it hopes to start distributing Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine later this year

AstraZeneca has recently announced that it hopes to start delivering and distributing Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine later this year, following preliminary trial results which revealed that the vaccine produces a robust immune response within humans and is secure.

The pharmaceutical company has partnered with the university to produce the vaccine globally and has pledged to make two billion doses already.

Scientists stated that the vaccine produced a dual immune response in adults aged eighteen to fifty-five, provoking a T cell response within two weeks of vaccination and an antibody response after twenty-eight days – the research was published in the ‘Lancet’ journal. However, additional trials will need to be carried out to establish how long these cells last for in the body. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the vaccine can reduce the symptoms of COVID-19 or prevent people from falling ill.

Phase II and III trials evaluating the vaccine’s effectiveness have been expanded beyond the UK to South Africa, Brazil and the US, where infection rates are high, to allow researchers to assess whether it can limit or prevent transmission among huge populations.

Also, the study’s authors have outlined that additional research is needed to validate the findings in different groups of people, including those with health conditions, older age groups and geographically and ethnically diverse populations.

Executive Chairwoman of the Medical Research Council, Professor Fiona Watt, stated: “It is truly remarkable how fast this vaccine has progressed, with our support, through early clinical trials and it is very encouraging that it shows no safety concerns and evokes strong immune responses. There is a lot that we don’t yet know about immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19. However, it seems that both antibody and T cell immunity are important and this vaccine triggers both responses. The much anticipated next milestone will be the results of the larger trials that are happening now to find out if the vaccine will protect people from the virus.”

CEO Pascal Soriot, stated: “The question of when we’ll be able to distribute is a function of mostly, in fact, the infection rate in the community, therefore how quickly we can show efficacy. And then it will be in the hands of the regulators to review the data in their various geographies. Our hope is that we can actually start delivering the vaccine before the end of the year and how early before the end of the year depends really on infection rates in the community. The only way to be ready to distribute the vaccine shortly after we get the results is to manufacture in parallel to doing the clinical development. When a country like the UK manages the infection rate, it’s very good news of course, but in the context of getting to an answer for clinical trials and vaccines, it’s not good news because it sort of delays the outcome. We’re working as quickly as we can but of course, there are things that we cannot control, in particular the infection rate in the community which influences the results. We will be able to deliver results in September, but it may take another month or 2. We need several vaccines, as you see here we need 2 doses, other vaccines will need 2 doses.”