VIRUS BATTLE
First volunteers injected in UK coronavirus vaccine trial as scientists ‘confident’ shot will be ready by September
THE first volunteers have been injected with doses of a coronavirus vaccine being trialled in the UK.
Scientists at University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute have begun Europe’s first human trial by administering injections.
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More than 800 volunteers are taking part in the trial of the vaccine, which was developed in under three months.
Imperial College London, Bristol Children's Vaccine Centre and University Hospital Southampton have advertised for people to take part in trials as the world races to find a vaccine for the deadly virus.
Elisa Granato, one of the two volunteers who received the jab, told the BBC: "I'm a scientist, so I wanted to try to support the scientific process wherever I can."
"Personally I have a high degree of confidence in this vaccine.
"Of course, we have to test it and get data from humans. We have to demonstrate it actually works and stops people getting infected with coronavirus before using the vaccine in the wider population."
The vaccine was developed by a team led by Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the Jenner Institute.
Prof Gilbert says she is "80 per cent confident" the vaccine her team is developing could be ready by September.
The Oxford vaccine is called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and is made from a harmless chimpanzee virus that has been genetically engineered to carry part of the coronavirus.
The technique has already been shown to generate strong immune responses in other diseases.
Meanwhile one of the volunteers taking part in the Oxford trial has spoken about the symptoms he's expecting as the trial starts today.
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Simeon Courtie said he was expecting to catch a fever “at worse” as he helped find a cure to the killer disease.
“They think it will be something along the lines of having the flu,” he told Good Morning Britain.
“You might just get very mild side effects, but at worst maybe a fever for a couple of days and some aches and pains. It shouldn't be too disruptive to my life.”
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