Oxford University pushing science to the limit in vaccine hunt. — Reuters pic
Such trials are already underway in China and the United States and are due to begin at the end of this month in Germany, where the federal vaccine authority gave the green light on Wednesday. In its first phase, half of 1,112 volunteers will receive the potential vaccine against Covid-19, the other half a control vaccine to test its safety and efficacy.
The government’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty acknowledged on Wednesday that the likelihood of getting a vaccine within the year was “incredibly small”. The adenovirus vaccine is known to develop a strong immune response with a single dose and is not a replicating virus, so cannot cause infection, making it safer for children, the elderly and patients with underlying diseases such as diabetes.