British Covid-19 vaccine reports treatment saved monkeys in trial

Preliminary results from the human volunteers are expected in June

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Results from Britain’s first tests for a coronavirus vaccine could be available in the next fortnight, scientists have indicated.

The news comes as Britain’s main vaccine project gathers pace after a group of monkeys displayed potential Covid-19 immunity following vaccine injections.

The important hurdle was cleared after researchers at Oxford University said their experimental vaccine had primed the rhesus macaque monkeys’ immune system to defeat the coronavirus. There were also no signs of adverse reaction.

Six monkeys were given the vaccine and then exposed to high levels of Covid-19. None of them contracted viral pneumonia contrasting with two out of three animals in the control test who did become ill.

The vaccinated animals demonstrated two different immune responses including high levels of neutralising antibodies, which can disable virus particles. The monkeys were also reported to have developed the immune system “T-cells” that kill cells which have been infiltrated by the coronavirus.

The positive news comes as effects from the first human trials – all on healthcare workers – are expected in June. The results from the project are said to be promising but no guarantees can yet be given that the vaccine will works on humans. Scientists not involved in the project have given it an 80 per cent chance success with a possible availability for the wider population in September.

The British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which has partnered with Oxford University team, said that if the vaccine is successful it could make 100 million doses the end of the year.

Some medical experts believe that it could take up to two years to find a workable vaccine despite the billions being poured into research.