The chances of the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine being rolled out by the end of this year are ‘pretty high’, professor Gilbert, the lead researcher of the
Oxford/AstraZeneca jab revealed.
“I think the chances are pretty high. But we do need multiple vaccines, all countries need multiple vaccines, the world needs multiple vaccines and we need vaccines made using different technologies, if that’s possible,” she said in an interview to BBC.
When asked how many people needed to be vaccinated for life to return to normal, Prof Gilbert added: “If we’re trying to protect the most vulnerable, then in this country we’re planning to immunise about 20 million people based on age and also the frontline healthcare workers.”
The vaccine from Oxford and pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is yet to be approved for use in the UK – with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) still reviewing trial data.
The Government has secured 100 million doses of the vaccine, with four million ready for key workers once approval is given.
