Researchers at the University of Oxford believe they have made a breakthrough in the development of a coronavirus vaccine.
Human
trials are reported to have shown promising results after the team
discovered the jab could provide "double protection" against the virus.
Blood
samples taken from volunteers in phase one trials have shown the
vaccine stimulated the body to produce antibodies and T-cells, according
to a report in The Daily Telegraph.
T-cells play a central part in the body's immune response.
A source told the newspaper that the combination "will hopefully keep people safe".
The
vaccine is one of more than 100 in development as the coronavirus
continues to spread - infecting more than 13 million people and killing
at least 582,000.
David Carpenter, chairman of the Berkshire
Research Ethics Committee, which approved the Oxford trial, said the
vaccine team was "absolutely on track".
He added: "Nobody can
put final dates... things might go wrong but the reality is that by
working with a big pharma company, that vaccine could be fairly widely
available around September and that is the sort of target they are
working on."
The vaccine development is being supported by the UK government and AstraZeneca.
