UK team ‘has played blinder’ in search for a vaccine
BRITISH HEALTH officials have “played a blinder” searching for a Covid-19 vaccine, Matt Hancock has said, as he claimed the virus is “on the back foot”.
The Health Secretary said a vaccine will not be approved “until we are clinically confident it is safe” as MPs welcomed positive news on work taking place at the University of Oxford.
Preliminary results suggests the Covid-19 vaccine being developed is safe and induces an immune reaction, although more work is required.
Mr Hancock would not give a date on when to expect a vaccine, explaining one will be available “as soon as humanly possible” and once the science is proven.
But he reserved praise for those involved in development work and also searching for treatment. He told the Commons: “The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) has done an amazing job, they have – alongside the scientists – made sure the trials are designed so they can approve the results as soon as the results come forward in parallel essentially rather than afterwards, which would be the norm.
“They have played a blinder, they are one of the reasons why the UK is at the forefront of this on vaccines and treatments.
“That means a vaccine will be available as soon as humanly possible and as soon as the science is proven.”
Mr Hancock earlier said the virus “is on the back foot” and that NHS Test and Trace has so far asked 180,000 people to self-isolate. He told MPs: “For over three weeks now, the number of new cases each day has been below 1,000 and daily hospital admissions are down to 142.”
He continued: “And thanks to our action against hundreds of local outbreaks and thanks to NHS Test and Trace working well, NHS Test and Trace has now asked 180,000 people to self-isolate.
“That is up to 180,000 potential chains of transmission broken by this brilliant new service.”
For Labour, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth welcomed the “encouraging and exciting” news about the Oxford vaccine trials and offered his support in tackling “poisonous anti-vax propaganda”.
SNP health and social care spokeswoman Dr Philippa Whitford said a widely available vaccine was “still some way off ”.
Later, Mr Hancock said the Government rejects “narrow nationalism” in the efforts to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, attempting to dispel fears that one country could attempt to keep supplies of it for themselves.
He said: “We’re working to ensure that whoever’s vaccine is approved first, the whole world can have access.
“We reject narrow nationalism, we support a global effort because this virus respects no borders and we are all on the same side.”
The Government is aiming to build a portfolio of potential vaccines, alongside effective treatments for coronavirus.