British scientists confident that vaccine could be ready by September
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The Times of London carries a report that British scientists are making great steps forward in developing a vaccine for the coronavirus.
A vaccine against coronavirus could be ready as soon as September, the British scientist leading one of the world’s most advanced efforts has said.
Sarah Gilbert, professor of vaccinology at Oxford University, told The Times she was “80 per cent confident” that the vaccine being developed by her team would work, with human trials due to begin in the next fortnight.
She added that having something ready by the autumn is “just about possible if everything goes perfectly”, but warned that “nobody can promise it’s going to work”.
The government signalled that it would be willing to fund the manufacture of millions of doses in advance if results looked promising. This would allow it to be available immediately to the public if it were proven to work.
Her team at Oxford is part of a global effort to find a vaccine for coronavirus which has killed more than 100,000 people around the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Earlier in the week, researchers at Southampton University said they had discovered that the virus has “low shielding”, meaning a vaccine could be easier to develop.
