Oxford University Covid-19 Vaccine Safe And ‘Can Train Immune System’

20 July 2020, 15:09 | Updated: 20 July 2020, 15:21

Oxford University have discovered their vaccine can ‘train the immune system.’

Oxford University are just one of the leading pioneers in the global race to a coronavirus vaccine, and their developments have reached an incredible step.

The vaccine developed by the university appears safe and ‘trains’ the immune system.

Trials involving 1,077 people showed the injection led to them making antibodies and white blood cells which can fight against coronavirus.

The discovery is hugely promising, but still too soon to know if it’s enough to offer protection.

Boris Johnson working towards a 'return to normality by Christmas'

Larger trials are now underway.

During clinical trials on adults between the ages of 18 and 55 across five hospitals in April and May, doses of the vaccine, called AZD1222, were found to induce a strong antibody and T-cell immune response for up to 56 days.

Scientists found the response could be greater after a second dose of the vaccine.

Professor Andrew Pollard, who is leading the study at the University of Oxford, said: "The immune system has two ways of finding and attacking pathogens - antibody and T cell responses.

"This vaccine is intended to induce both, so it can attack the virus when it's circulating in the body, as well as attacking infected cells.

"We hope this means the immune system will remember the virus, so that our vaccine will protect people for an extended period.

"However, we need more research before we can confirm the vaccine effectively protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection, and for how long any protection lasts."

It comes after the UK signed a deal for early access to 100 million doses of vaccinations.

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