University of Oxford Scientists Expect Covid-19 Vaccine Data By Christmas

University of Oxford scientists expect to report results from the late-stage trials of their Covid-19 vaccine by Christmas, a key researcher said on Thursday as he discussed the team's latest findings.

Dr Andrew Pollard, an expert in pediatric infection and immunity at Oxford, said research was slowed by low infection rates over the summer, but the Phase III trials are now accumulating the data needed to report results as a renewed surge of the pandemic hits countries around the world. Oxford is developing its vaccine in conjunction with the drugmaker AstraZeneca.

“I think we're getting close, and it's definitely going to be before Christmas based on the progress,” Pollard said in an interview with the BBC.

Two different drugmakers, Pfizer and Moderna, this week announced fundamental outcomes from late-stage preliminaries demonstrating that their Covid-19 antibodies were practically 95% viable. 

Pollard said there is no opposition between the different exploration groups, in light of the fact that



few immunizations will be expected to manage the worldwide pandemic and permit life to getting back to business as usual. 

Regardless of late advancement, Pollard said the world is still in the beginning phases of the push to secure individuals against Covid-19. Even after immunizations are endorsed by controllers, drugmakers and general wellbeing authorities actually face the errand of creating billions of dosages and directing them to individuals around the globe, he said.

Pollard, an amateur mountaineer, compared the task to the work involved in climbing a mountain.

“I think we're still at the bottom of that mountain in some ways,” he said.

“We've done the route into the bottom of the mountain, the long trek to get to the start. Now we've got to get the data about the vaccines in front of regulators for them to scrutinise it and approve the first vaccines. And then we've got that huge effort to climb up to the top where we've got a vast majority of those who are at risk vaccinated.”