Researchers at Oxford University injecting hundreds of volunteers with a coronavirus candidate vaccine today, with hopes millions of doses could be available by September
More than 500 people in the UK have volunteered to be part of the human trials for a potential COVID-19 vaccine beginning today in an extraordinary step against the virus.
The scientists will look at if the vaccine works and if it has any side effects at all.
It comes as the UK Secretary for Health declared 1 million doses of a vaccine could be available in September should the trials be successful.
How many stages of the trial?
The trial will have many stages, the first of which has been completed with the recruitment of volunteers between the ages of 18 and 55 who will begin treatment from today.
Stage two will expand the age range of those tested to people aged between 55 and 70, before later moving to an over 70’s group.
The final stage will include 5000 people.
Incredible progress compared to vaccine development for other diseases
COVID’s cousin, SARS, struck back in 2003 with fears it could be the next great pandemic (not quite guys).
While researchers worked for years on developing a vaccine for the virus, they never did, with the infection rate of SARS reducing to the point where a vaccine was no longer needed
More Perth coronavirus updates on SoPerth.com.au.
Latest Perth news coverage:
