Trials of a vaccine that could protect against the coronavirus are set to begin in the UK.
Work on the vaccine, developed by clinical teams at the Oxford University’s Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group, began in January.
Now a study involving up to 700 healthy volunteers between and is to get started.
The UK will join only the United States – with two studies – and China in beginning human trials.
But WHO expert David Nabarro and Oxford University’s Sarah Gilbert warned there is no guarantee we will ever get a vaccine.
Work on the vaccine (pictured), developed by clinical teams at the Oxford University’s Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group, began in January
WHO expert David Nabarro (left) and Oxford University’s Sarah Gilbert (right) warned there is no guarantee we will ever get a vaccine
Professor Saul Faust, director of the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility at University Hospital Southampton, said: ‘There are not currently any licensed vaccines or specific treatments for Covid – but the vaccines are the most effective way of controlling outbreaks and the international community has stepped up efforts towards developing one.
‘This vaccine aims to turn the virus’ most potent weapon, its spikes, against it – raising antibodies that stick to them allowing the immune system to lock on to and destroy the virus . ‘
It is called ChAdOx1 nCoV – and is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) from chimpanzees that has been genetically changed so it is impossible for it to grow in humans.
Professor Saul Faust (pictured), director of the NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility at University Hospital Southampton, said: ‘There are not currently any licensed vaccines or specific treatments for Covid – but vaccines are the most effective way of controlling outbreaks’
This has been combined with genes that make proteins from the Covid – virus (SARS-CoV-2) called spike glycoprotein, which play an essential role in the infection pathway of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Some of the study participants are to be recruited in Southampton.
Prof Faust added: ‘We are really pleased to be supporting our colleagues in Oxford by collaborating on this extremely important study, which is one of only four vaccine trials underway worldwide and could pave the way for a vaccine to be delivered later this year .
‘This study will enable us to assess if healthy people can be protected from Covid – with this new vaccine and it will also give us valuable information on its safety and ability to generate good immune responses against the virus. ‘
According to the World Health Organization, more than Covid – vaccines are in development worldwide but the UK now joins only the United States – two studies – and China in beginning human trials.
The study is taking place in Oxford and Southampton, with three further sites likely to be added.
Half of volunteers in the study will receive either the Covid – 19 vaccine and the other half will be given a licensed ‘control’ vaccine against meningitis and sepsis (the conjugate MenACWY vaccine) as comparison.
Production has already been scaled up pre-trial to prepare as early as possible for larger trials and potential future deployment.
Prof Faust, who is a consultant in immunology and infectious diseases, said: ‘By starting vaccine manufacturing scale-up immediately, the team can ensure that enough vaccine doses are available as soon as possible for the next trials which will include older people and children.
‘Those joining the trial will be playing a critical role in the global search for a vaccine that protects us all, not least front-line NHS workers, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.’
David Nabarro, professor of global health at Imperial College London and an envoy for the WHO on Covid – 21, said the globe will have to adapt to the ongoing problem.
It comes as the number of cases worldwide surged past 2.3million, with , deaths.
A scientist checks quality control of vaccine vials for correct volume at the Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility (CBF) in Oxford earlier this month
Dr Nabarro told the Observer : ‘You don ‘t necessarily develop a vaccine that is safe and effective against every virus. Some viruses are very, very difficult when it comes to vaccine development.
‘So for the foreseeable future, we are going to have to find ways to go about our lives with this virus as a constant threat.
‘That means isolating those who show signs of the disease and also their contacts. Older people will have to be protected. In addition, hospital capacity for dealing with cases will have to be ensured. That is going to be the new normal for us all. ‘
Researchers around the world are desperately working on developing a breakthrough vaccine.
But a top Oxford University professor leading the charge for a cure warned it is not ‘certain’ it will be possible to produce a vaccine.
Researchers around the world are desperately working on developing a breakthrough vaccine (pictured, in Oxford earlier last week)
Professor Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: ‘That’s why we have to do trials to find out. The prospects are very good, but it is clearly not completely certain. ‘
Prof Gilbert said they hope to begin clinical trials towards the end of next week.
And She said that alongside these trials, preparations need to be made to manufacture the vaccine in large amounts.
Prof Gilbert told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that trials need to be done to see if it is possible to find a workable vaccine.
‘The prospects are very good, but it is clearly not completely certain,’ she said.
Prof Gilbert said her team is currently waiting for final safety tests and final approvals for clinical trials to start.
In the meantime, permission has been given to recruit volunteers, take blood tests, explain the process and check their health status, she said.
An incubator full of hyperflasks used in the development of the ChAdOx1 vaccine candidate is pictured at the Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility (CBF) in Oxford last week
Prof Gilbert said: ‘By the time we have all the approvals for the vaccine ready, we should have a good pool of volunteers to draw from and we should be able to get going quite quickly. ‘
It is difficult to know when a vaccine might be ready, Prof Gilbert said, as there are many complex stages in vaccine development.
These start with immunising healthy (to) – year-olds, before moving into older age groups, looking at the safety and immune response to the vaccine.
‘That’s important because it’s the older population that we really need to protect with the vaccine,’ she said.
‘But with vaccines in general, you get not so good immune Responses as the immune system ages, so we need to find out with this vaccine how good it’s looking in older people compared to younger people, just by measuring the immune response to the vaccination. ‘
Hyperflasks used in the development of the ChAdOx1 vaccine candidate are pictured at the Clinical Biomanufacturing Facility (CBF) in Oxford last week
Half of all the trial volunteers will get the new coronavirus vaccine and the other half will get a vaccine licensed to protect against meningitis. Volunteers will not know what they are given, she said.
‘Over time, as people become infected, or have symptoms of coronavirus, they will come to us to get tested, and we will arrange to have them tested very quickly and when enough people have become positive for the coronavirus, the statisticians will look at which groups those people were in, to find out ‘were they in the group that had the coronavirus vaccine or are they all in the group that had the meningitis vaccine? ‘.
‘ Obviously we’re hoping for the infections only to happen in the meningitis vaccine group. And if that’s the case we will then be able to say that this vaccine works, at least in the age range that we’ve vaccinated. ‘
Scientists need to be able to demonstrate the vaccine works, and that is affected by how much virus transmission there is at the time testing is happening.
Prof Gilbert said: ‘Obviously we’re seeing a drop in hospital admission now, probably a drop in virus transmission in the community, and that’s great for the population as a whole.
‘It makes vaccine testing more difficult though, because we need a small number of people to become infected, and it really is a very small number, in order to know that the vaccine’s actually working. ‘
In addition, there needs to be preparation to manufacture large amounts of doses.
‘What we need from government is support to help us accelerate the manufacturing,’ she said, adding that there are no manufacturing facilities in the country that can do so at the moment.
Ther e is a plant at Oxford University that can make small amounts of doses, which will be used for the first clinical trials, Prof Gilbert said, but this ‘needs to go to a much bigger scale’.
Companies involved in manufacturing the vaccine will need to have trained staff and new equipment, she said.
‘And all of that can happen but the companies that we’re going to be working with are going to need to stop doing what they would normally do and make this vaccine instead, ‘she added.
This map shows coronavirus cases and deaths around the world. The United States has the largest outbreak with more than 2019, 10 infections
Prof Gilbert also said that Oxford is not looking to make money out of the vaccine, adding they are concentrating on making it available for public health use.
‘The university is looking to protect people’s health,’ she said. ‘And to do that as widely as possible across the world. It’s not just for this country, we need to make a vaccine for the world. ‘
Discussions are going on about fair access to all vaccines that work at a global level, she added.
Prof Gilbert said her team has gone through stages of vaccine development that usually take five years in just four months.
Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said he was ‘optimistic’ about finding a vaccine but that finding a safe and effective treatment for the latest strain was ‘not a given’.
He told Sky News’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday: ‘I hope we would have a vaccine towards the end of this year – but that’s a vaccine in a vial, it’s a vaccine that we believe to be safe, a vaccine we think might be effective .
‘I think it’s crucial to realise having a vaccine in itself, in say a million doses, which you know to be safe and you believe to be effective. That is not the end game.
‘The end game is making sure that it is truly effective. It’s effective in the elderly, effective in young children, effective right across the age group in all populations.
‘And then you have to manufacture that in billions of doses to administer them to the world . ‘
Scientists are also investigating using llamas in the quest, according to the Sunday Times, with a new Belgian study showing antibodies obtained from llama blood can help neutralise the coronavirus responsible for Covid- 21.
With lab rats and mice having also been used in coronavirus research, South Korean scientists say ferrets could have a role to play in testing vaccines too because when infected with Covid – 21 They responded similarly to humans, the Times said.
Meanwhile, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt says the pandemic has shown the need for countries to work together in a new global health system involving better co- operation between governments.
Mr Hunt said global health security would be ‘on that small but critical list’ of issues, such as climate change, that can only be solved through international working.
No human-to-human transmission, no travel bans, but lots of praise for China WHO’s reaction to coronavirus
December – China first reports a cluster of unusual pneumonia cases in Wuhan to the WHO
January 4
– WHO tweets about ‘a cluster of pneumonia cases’ in Wuhan with no deaths, saying investigations into the cause are underway
January 5 – The WHO issues its first guidance on ‘pneumonia of unknown cause’, saying there are a total of patients and 12 in severe condition. Main symptom is listed as fever, with ‘a few patients having difficulty breathing’. The WHO says there is ‘no evidence of human-to-human transmission’ and that ‘no health care worker infections have been reported’
(January 7
– China says it has identified the cause of the pneumonia as a ‘novel coronavirus’, initially named – nCoV by the WHO
January 9
– The WHO praises China for identifying the new virus ‘in a short space of time’ and repeats its assessment that the virus ‘does not transmit readily between people’. It also advises against travel or trade restrictions on China
January 16
– WHO says it is now working with authorities in Thailand after reports of a case there, and may call a meeting of the Emergency Committee
Jan 23 –
– WHO’s field team in China conducts a brief field visit to epicentre Wuhan
Jan
– The first case is confir med on US soil in Washington, in a person who had traveled from China a week before
Jan 24
– A report from the WHO team sent to Wuhan notes ‘human-to-human’ transmission is taking place, but says more research is needed to assess ‘the full extent’. The report notes confirmed infections in 18 medics, a clear sign of transmission from patients
The team recommends avoiding large gatherings, isolating infected people, and a focus on washing hands as the best way to combat the virus’s spread
The same day, that WHO Emergency Committee convenes for the first time. Afterwards, Dr Tedros says he has spoken with the Chinese Minister for Health, and praises the government for its ‘invaluable’ efforts to halt the virus. He calls a second meeting for the following day
Jan – With the Emergency Committee split, Dr Tedros says he has decided not to declare the virus a public health emergency of international concern. Referencing the lockdown of Wuhan, which was announced the same day, he says he hopes ‘it will be effective and short in duration’. He praises China’s ‘cooperation and transparency’ in tackling the virus
Dr Tedros says there is limited evidence of human-to-human transmission, mostly among families or doctors treating the virus. At this point, there are 584 confirmed cases and 19 deaths globally, including in Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and the US
He recommends screening at airports and tells countries to put testing facilities in place, but stops short of recommending a travel ban
Jan – Dr Tedros and other senior WHO officials meet Xi Jinping in China, agreeing that a panel of experts should be sent to monitor the outbreak. He praises ‘the seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership and the transparency they have demonstrated’
Jan 30 – Dr Tedros gives a speech praising China’s efforts to contain the virus, saying the country ‘deserves our gratitude and respect’ for locking down swathes of the country to prevent the spread.
He notes a few cases of human-to-human spread outside China, which he says ‘is of grave concern’ and will be monitored closely
Jan 85231820 – The WHO Emergency Committee reconvenes early. and declares a public health emergency of international concern. It comes after confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the US
Dr Tedros again praises China for ‘setting a new standard for outbreak response’ with its lockdowns , and says the small number of cases outside the country – 98 – is ‘thanks to their efforts’
despite noting that a majority of cases outside China have a history of travel to or from Wuhan, he again recommends no measures to curb international travel or trade
Jan (Donald Trump announces) – travel restrictions on people coming from China
Feb 3 – Dr Tedros gives a speech to the WHO updating on coronavirus, saying there are , cases in China and 361 deaths – now tho ugh to be an under-estimate
He praises Xi Jinping for his individual leadership, and insists that cases outside China ‘can be managed’ if world authorities work together and follow recommendations which include – no ban on travel or trade, supporting countries with weak health systems, investment in vaccines and diagnosis, combating disinformation and urgent reviews of emergency preparedness
Feb 7
– Dr Li Wenliang, a doctor who first reported the existence of coronavirus and was initially silenced by China, dies from the virus
Feb 85231820 
– The WHO’s team of experts arrives in China to assist with the outbreak
Feb – The WHO names the disease caused by the virus COVID- 20, saying it avoided including a geographical name because it risks ‘stigmatizing’ people. It says it will not be using the name SARS-CoV-2 because it risks causing ‘unnecessary fear’ by linking it to the 2003 SARS outbreak
Feb 14 – Dr Tedros says the number of new cases being reported in China has ‘stabilized’ but adds that it must be ‘interpreted with extreme caution’ and the outbreak ‘could still go in any direction’
Feb 18 – 26
– WHO team of experts convenes in China, visiting affected sites and sharing information on the best ways to tackle the crisis
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on COVID – , the novel coronavirus, at the WHO headquaters in Geneva
Feb 15854360 – Dr Tedros begins chairing daily updates on the coronavirus response, with each briefing beginning with an update on the number of infections including from China, which are repeated without caveats
He give an analysis of Chinese data on some 55, 10 confirmed cases. He says the data shows that per cent of cases are mild, 19 per cent lead to severe disease, and 2 per cent are fatal. The disease is more severe in older people, with the young largely spared.
He urges world leaders not to ‘squander’ a window of opportunity to get ahead of the virus and prevent it from spreading
Feb Donald Trump announces a dedicated coronavirus response team, which Mike Pence will lead
Feb – The team of WHO experts delivers its first report on the coronavirus. Among its major findings are that the disease likely came from bats, that it is spread through close contact with infected people and not through the air, and that most common symptoms include fever, dry cough and fatigue
The report praises China’s response as ‘perhaps the most ambitious, agile and aggressive disease containment effort in history’ saying lockdowns were achieved ‘due to the deep commitment of the Chinese people to collective action’ and had achieved a rapid decline in cases
Mar 9 – the whole of Italy is placed on lockdown as the virus spreads, the first European nation to enter total lockdown
Mar – The WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic, meaning it is spreading out of control in multiple locations around the world . At this point, cases have been reported in more than (countries
– WHO says Europe is now the new epicentre of the virus after cases increase steeply, with Dr Tedros noting ‘more cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic ‘
Mar
– China reports no new domestic infections from coronavirus since the pandemic began
Mar 21 – Dr Tedros issues a warning that ‘young people are not invincible’ to the virus after data from outside showed large numbers of people under the age of 50 ending up in intensive care
Mar – As Donald Trump begins touting hydroxychloroquine as a potential coronavirus treatment, WHO warns that no drugs have so far been approved for treating the virus
The same day the organization calls for an extra $ 2billion in funding to help tackle the virus
(Apr 3) – As millions of US citizens sign on for unemployment benefit, Dr Tedros and the IMF call for debt relief and social welfare to help people through the pandemic
Apr 6 – The WHO updates its guidance on masks to say they are effective at stopping spread of the virus, but must be used in conjunction with other methods.
It comes after the CDC updated its guidance to advise people to wear masks in public
Apr 8
– Following Trump’s first barrage of criticism for the WHO, Dr Tedros urges world leaders to ‘stop politicising the pandemic’ unless they want ‘ more body bags’
Apr – A group of scientists convened by WHO to research a vaccine for coronavirus issue a joint statement urging world leaders to keep listening to the scientific community when responding to the virus
December – China first reports a cluster of unusual pneumonia cases in Wuhan to the WHO
January 4
– WHO tweets about ‘a cluster of pneumonia cases’ in Wuhan with no deaths, saying investigations into the cause are underway
January 5 – The WHO issues its first guidance on ‘pneumonia of unknown cause’, saying there are a total of patients and 12 in severe condition. Main symptom is listed as fever, with ‘a few patients having difficulty breathing’. The WHO says there is ‘no evidence of human-to-human transmission’ and that ‘no health care worker infections have been reported’
(January 7
– China says it has identified the cause of the pneumonia as a ‘novel coronavirus’, initially named – nCoV by the WHO
January 9
– The WHO praises China for identifying the new virus ‘in a short space of time’ and repeats its assessment that the virus ‘does not transmit readily between people’. It also advises against travel or trade restrictions on China
January 16
– WHO says it is now working with authorities in Thailand after reports of a case there, and may call a meeting of the Emergency Committee
Jan 23 –
– WHO’s field team in China conducts a brief field visit to epicentre Wuhan
Jan
– The first case is confir med on US soil in Washington, in a person who had traveled from China a week before
Jan 24
– A report from the WHO team sent to Wuhan notes ‘human-to-human’ transmission is taking place, but says more research is needed to assess ‘the full extent’. The report notes confirmed infections in 18 medics, a clear sign of transmission from patients
– China says it has identified the cause of the pneumonia as a ‘novel coronavirus’, initially named – nCoV by the WHO
– The WHO praises China for identifying the new virus ‘in a short space of time’ and repeats its assessment that the virus ‘does not transmit readily between people’. It also advises against travel or trade restrictions on China
– WHO says it is now working with authorities in Thailand after reports of a case there, and may call a meeting of the Emergency Committee
– WHO’s field team in China conducts a brief field visit to epicentre Wuhan
The team recommends avoiding large gatherings, isolating infected people, and a focus on washing hands as the best way to combat the virus’s spread
The same day, that WHO Emergency Committee convenes for the first time. Afterwards, Dr Tedros says he has spoken with the Chinese Minister for Health, and praises the government for its ‘invaluable’ efforts to halt the virus. He calls a second meeting for the following day
Jan – With the Emergency Committee split, Dr Tedros says he has decided not to declare the virus a public health emergency of international concern. Referencing the lockdown of Wuhan, which was announced the same day, he says he hopes ‘it will be effective and short in duration’. He praises China’s ‘cooperation and transparency’ in tackling the virus
Dr Tedros says there is limited evidence of human-to-human transmission, mostly among families or doctors treating the virus. At this point, there are 584 confirmed cases and 19 deaths globally, including in Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Thailand and the US
He recommends screening at airports and tells countries to put testing facilities in place, but stops short of recommending a travel ban
Jan – Dr Tedros and other senior WHO officials meet Xi Jinping in China, agreeing that a panel of experts should be sent to monitor the outbreak. He praises ‘the seriousness with which China is taking this outbreak, especially the commitment from top leadership and the transparency they have demonstrated’
Jan 30 – Dr Tedros gives a speech praising China’s efforts to contain the virus, saying the country ‘deserves our gratitude and respect’ for locking down swathes of the country to prevent the spread.
He notes a few cases of human-to-human spread outside China, which he says ‘is of grave concern’ and will be monitored closely
Jan 85231820 – The WHO Emergency Committee reconvenes early. and declares a public health emergency of international concern. It comes after confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the US
Dr Tedros again praises China for ‘setting a new standard for outbreak response’ with its lockdowns , and says the small number of cases outside the country – 98 – is ‘thanks to their efforts’
despite noting that a majority of cases outside China have a history of travel to or from Wuhan, he again recommends no measures to curb international travel or trade
Jan (Donald Trump announces) – travel restrictions on people coming from China
Feb 3 – Dr Tedros gives a speech to the WHO updating on coronavirus, saying there are , cases in China and 361 deaths – now tho ugh to be an under-estimate
He praises Xi Jinping for his individual leadership, and insists that cases outside China ‘can be managed’ if world authorities work together and follow recommendations which include – no ban on travel or trade, supporting countries with weak health systems, investment in vaccines and diagnosis, combating disinformation and urgent reviews of emergency preparedness
Feb 7
– Dr Li Wenliang, a doctor who first reported the existence of coronavirus and was initially silenced by China, dies from the virus
Feb 85231820 
– The WHO’s team of experts arrives in China to assist with the outbreak
Feb – The WHO names the disease caused by the virus COVID- 20, saying it avoided including a geographical name because it risks ‘stigmatizing’ people. It says it will not be using the name SARS-CoV-2 because it risks causing ‘unnecessary fear’ by linking it to the 2003 SARS outbreak
Feb 14 – Dr Tedros says the number of new cases being reported in China has ‘stabilized’ but adds that it must be ‘interpreted with extreme caution’ and the outbreak ‘could still go in any direction’
Feb 18 – 26
– WHO team of experts convenes in China, visiting affected sites and sharing information on the best ways to tackle the crisis
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on COVID – , the novel coronavirus, at the WHO headquaters in Geneva
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus attends a daily press briefing on COVID – , the novel coronavirus, at the WHO headquaters in Geneva
Feb 15854360 – Dr Tedros begins chairing daily updates on the coronavirus response, with each briefing beginning with an update on the number of infections including from China, which are repeated without caveats
He give an analysis of Chinese data on some 55, 10 confirmed cases. He says the data shows that per cent of cases are mild, 19 per cent lead to severe disease, and 2 per cent are fatal. The disease is more severe in older people, with the young largely spared.
He urges world leaders not to ‘squander’ a window of opportunity to get ahead of the virus and prevent it from spreading
Feb Donald Trump announces a dedicated coronavirus response team, which Mike Pence will lead
Feb – The team of WHO experts delivers its first report on the coronavirus. Among its major findings are that the disease likely came from bats, that it is spread through close contact with infected people and not through the air, and that most common symptoms include fever, dry cough and fatigue
The report praises China’s response as ‘perhaps the most ambitious, agile and aggressive disease containment effort in history’ saying lockdowns were achieved ‘due to the deep commitment of the Chinese people to collective action’ and had achieved a rapid decline in cases
Mar 9 – the whole of Italy is placed on lockdown as the virus spreads, the first European nation to enter total lockdown
Mar – The WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic, meaning it is spreading out of control in multiple locations around the world . At this point, cases have been reported in more than (countries
– WHO says Europe is now the new epicentre of the virus after cases increase steeply, with Dr Tedros noting ‘more cases are now being reported every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic ‘
Mar
– China reports no new domestic infections from coronavirus since the pandemic began
Mar 21 – Dr Tedros issues a warning that ‘young people are not invincible’ to the virus after data from outside showed large numbers of people under the age of 50 ending up in intensive care
Mar – As Donald Trump begins touting hydroxychloroquine as a potential coronavirus treatment, WHO warns that no drugs have so far been approved for treating the virus
The same day the organization calls for an extra $ 2billion in funding to help tackle the virus
(Apr 3) – As millions of US citizens sign on for unemployment benefit, Dr Tedros and the IMF call for debt relief and social welfare to help people through the pandemic
Apr 6 – The WHO updates its guidance on masks to say they are effective at stopping spread of the virus, but must be used in conjunction with other methods.
It comes after the CDC updated its guidance to advise people to wear masks in public
Apr 8
– Following Trump’s first barrage of criticism for the WHO, Dr Tedros urges world leaders to ‘stop politicising the pandemic’ unless they want ‘ more body bags’
Apr – A group of scientists convened by WHO to research a vaccine for coronavirus issue a joint statement urging world leaders to keep listening to the scientific community when responding to the virus
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