Human trials of COVID-19 vaccine to begin from this week

Oxford University shall conduct the Human trial Of COVID-19 vaccine this week. Scientists at the university believe there is an 80 percent chance of success.

Last week, the researchers had promised a super-fast vaccine during a virtual press conference, saying the vaccine will be available by September. According to lead researcher Professor Sarah Gilbert, their ‘ChAdOx1' vaccine can work against the coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock, during the daily press conference at 10 Downing Street, said the government will provide 20 million pounds to the Oxford research team to help fund their clinical trials, with a further 22.5 million pounds for researchers at Imperial College London, as per a newspaper report.

"The team has accelerated that trial process, working with the regulator the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency), who have been brilliant. As a result, I can announce that the vaccine from the Oxford project will be trialled in people from this Thursday," said Hancock.

In the normal course of time, a vaccine takes anytime between 12-18 months. What probably separates ChAdOx1 - known as recombinant viral vector vaccine - from the rest is the time it promises to take in order to deliver mass quantities.

According to Hancock, in the long run "the best way to defeat coronavirus is through a vaccine".

"This is a new disease, this is uncertain science, but I'm certain that we will throw everything we've got at developing a vaccine," he added. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) also pitched for the Oxford vaccine on Sunday, saying ‘ChAdOX1' is the frontrunner in the race to take on the deadly COVID-19 virus.