NEARLY 20 million doses of a Covid jab could be available by the end of the year in a triumph for British science.
It could see one in three people vaccinated against the pandemic by the end of January — with life returning to normal by Easter.
Trial data yesterday showed the Oxford University-developed jab offers up to 90 per cent protection against the virus.
It comes after Pfizer and Moderna announced vaccines that showed 95 per cent protection. But the Oxford jab — developed with drugs giant AstraZeneca — is cheaper, and easier to store and distribute worldwide. No one given that vaccine ended up seriously ill with Covid, while it also stopped the bug spreading between people.
The breakthrough was last night hailed as a Great British scientific success story, comparable to the “discovery of radar in the Second World War”.
Professor Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “2020 will be remembered for the many lives lost from Covid-19, lockdowns and the US election. Science should now be added to this list.
“Breakthroughs in science are nothing new, but the importance of the three announcements this month from Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and from University of Oxford-AstraZeneca cannot be overestimated. November 2020 looks set to be the month that humanity developed the tools to turn the tide against this devastating virus.”
Tom Keith-Roach, president of AstraZeneca UK, said: “These are absolutely phenomenal results. Modelling data suggested you get above 60 per cent efficacy, you change the course of the pandemic.
“And if you get up above 80 per cent, social distancing and other restrictions can be completely eliminated. It is truly exciting data. It’s a bit like the discovery of radar in the Second World War to me. Now we actually have the technology that we need to fight this virus and win.”
‘British scientific achievement’
Last night the Government asked the UK regulator to start emergency assessment of the Oxford vaccine, with approval expected within weeks. AstraZeneca says it can deliver 19 million doses by Christmas — enough to begin immunising more than a third of adults. It is set to supply the UK with 40 million doses of the jab by the end of March, and 100 million by the end of next year.
Five million doses of the Pfizer jab are also due to be delivered by the end of the year, while the UK has orders for the Moderna vaccine. Boris Johnson has promised to immunise Brits at record speed, with an NHS-led programme “the like of which we have never witnessed”.
The PM said the Oxford jab has “the makings of a wonderful British scientific achievement”. He said: “Vaccines are now edging ever closer to liberating us from the virus, demonstrating emphatically that this is not a pandemic without end.”
Trials involving more than 24,000 volunteers show the drug was 90 per cent effective when participants were given one half dose followed by a full dose at least one month apart. Experts think first priming the immune system with a weaker jab before delivering a booster works better as it stops the body fighting back against the vaccine.
But AstraZeneca’s executive vice-president Mene Pangalo admitted luck had played its part in the success. When trials began in April, researchers noticed some volunteers had milder symptoms. Mr Pangalo said: “So we went back and checked. And we found out that they had underpredicted the dose of the vaccine by half.” He added: “The reason we had the half-dose is serendipity.”
Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, urged ministers to start vaccinating as soon as possible. He said: “I think there’s a real exciting moment where we can see the light at the end of the tunnel next year. I’m confident giving patients a half dose, followed by a full dose will give good protection.
“We’re absolutely delighted to see high efficacy in the vaccine. Knowing the implications of that, providing protection not just here but in other countries, I think it’s great news. As far as life in the UK is concerned, if we can reach a point where a large proportion of the vulnerable are protected against the virus, we can start to relax restrictions and get back to some sense of normality.”
The NHS is primed to start roll-out from early next month, with the aim of up to a million doses a day by early next year.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the only factor that could slow down delivery is jab availability. He said: “We’re looking with high confidence that after Easter things can really start to get back to normal.”
