UK coronavirus vaccine ‘safe and induces an immune reaction’ in early trials

The vaccine in question has been named ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, and appears to be safe and do its job well. It works by mimicking the virus itself and “teaching” the body how to react to it. The vaccine contains genetic information similar to the “spike” proteins the viruses uses to attack a healthy person.

Studies performed with 1,077 people have shown that even one dose of this vaccine has proven to be effective 90% of the time. More extensive trials are underway to confirm this. Nearly 70% of people in the current trials have reported fever and/or headache, but so far, no further side effects have been noted. The next study will involve over 10,000 people. The UK government has already gotten on board by ordering 100 million doses.

This is not the only place in the world where a potentially viable vaccine is currently in the works. Groups of top scientists in the USA and China are also at roughly the same stage at developing a vaccine.

In fact, the US mega-company Moderna was the first entity worldwide to start on a potential vaccine. Their particular strategy is a little bit different; they are working on an RNA-based vaccine which starts making viral proteins in the recipient’s body. BioNtech and Pfizer are not far behind with similar vaccines.

There is also a group in China working on yet another vaccine with techniques similar to those of Oxford. There are 23 different vaccines of various natures being developed around the world at this point, and another 140 in their infant stages of research and development.

This is encouraging news, as it meant that there is an excellent chance that there will be an effective vaccine before the year is out, although it will be still some more months after that before worldwide distribution will be up and running. Hopefully, we will all have another option or options for how to react to the virus before very long.