A British vaccinologist from Oxford University has disclosed that a vaccine against the novel coronavirus may be ready as soon as September.
Dr. Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at Oxford University, told The Times on Saturday that she was “80 percent confident” that a vaccine being developed by her team of researchers would work and would become available to the general public in about five months.
Human trials are due to begin in the next two weeks, she indicated.
“I think there’s a high chance that it will work based on other things that we have done with this type of vaccine,” Dr. Gilbert told The Times.”It’s not just a hunch and as every week goes by we have more data to look at. I would go for 80 percent, that’s my personal view.”
The vaccinologist said she and her team are in talks with the British government to begin production as soon as possible. “We don’t want to get to later this year and discover we have a highly effective vaccine and we haven’t got any vaccine to use,” she was quoted as saying.
Over 60 potential vaccine candidates and treatments for coronavirus are being developed in labs around the world, most in pre-clinical stages. At least one vaccine, by US company Moderna, is already being tested in clinical trials which began last month.
It was revealed that scientists In Israel at the state-funded Migal Galilee Research Institutehave said that their vaccine for coronavirus was on track to be ready for testing within “a few weeks” though it won’t be available for months because of the lengthy and sometimes bureaucratic testing and approval process.
