First U.K. patients receive COVID-19 vaccine under trial

The vaccine under trial was developed in under three months by a team at Oxford University. /VCG Image

Europe has begun human trials for a COVID-19 vaccine in Oxford.

Two volunteers were injected on Thursday, the first of more than 800 people who have been recruited for the study.

Half of the number will receive the COVID-19 vaccine under trial, while the second half will receive a control vaccine which protects against meningitis but COVID-19.

The volunteers will not know which vaccine they are getting, but doctors will.

The vaccine was developed in under three months by a team at Oxford University. Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at the Jenner Institute, led the pre-clinical research.

The vaccine is made from a weakened version of common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees that has been modified so it cannot grow in humans.

The Oxford team will only know if the COVID-19 vaccine works by comparing the number of people who get infected with COVID-19 in the months ahead from the two halves of volunteers.

Prof Gilbert previously said she was "80% confident" the vaccine would work, but now prefers not to put a figure on it, saying simply she is "very optimistic" about its chances.

Source(s): BBC