Testing for coronavirus vaccine could start in UK next month

The United Kingdom’s health agency has claimed that trials of a coronavirus vaccine could begin in the country within next month.

A team of researchers at Oxford University is planning a safety trail on humans of what is expected to be UK’s first coronavirus vaccine.

Before the trial on humans, the Public Health England (PHE) will start preliminary evaluation of the same vaccine on animal from next week at PHE laboratory.

According to international newspaper, animal trails must be completed before human trials, but because similar vaccines have worked safely in trials for other diseases, the work has been accelerated.

In this regard, the researchers have been given permission to commence human trials before animal tests are complete.

Prof Adrian Hill – Director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford said, “We are conscious that a vaccine is needed as soon as possible and certainly by June–July when we expect a big peak in mortality.”

He further said, “We will follow all standard trial safety requirements, but as soon as we have a vaccine that’s working, we anticipate there will be an accelerated pathway to get it deployed to save lives. The more vaccine we can provide sooner, the better.”

Earlier this month, Anthony Fauci, director of the US medical agency and a member of Trump’s task force, claimed that a vaccine was 12 to 18 months away, but Hill said the Oxford team and others were “aiming for much earlier”.