Chances 'pretty high' of Oxford vaccine rolling out in UK this year

[perugu_vada]

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine’s lead researcher has said the chances of the jab being available by the end of the year were “pretty high”.

The vaccine has shown “strong protection” against the severe disease, which will protect health services.

Speaking on the BBC‘s Andrew Marr Show, Professor Sarah Gilbert said: “It depends on the age group you’re in and the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) prioritisations.

“I think the chances are pretty high. But we do need multiple vaccines, all countries need multiple vaccines, the world needs multiple vaccines and we need vaccines made using different technologies, if that’s possible.”

 

Prof Gilbert said: “So we know that from 21 days after the first vaccination, nobody who received the vaccine was admitted to hospital or had severe Covid disease.

“So we’re seeing very strong protection against the severe disease, people going to hospital, and that’s the kind of thing that will protect health services.