UK leads vaccine race but Britons ‘must prepare for worst’
BRITAIN is “well ahead” in the global race to develop a coronavirus vaccine, according to experts.
But MPs were warned we should “prepare for the worst” in case it cannot be rolled out this winter.
This means everyone who is eligible should get the flu vaccine.
The Commons Science and Technology Committee heard there could be “pandemonium in A&Es” if the country is hit by a bad flu season while Covid-19 is still circulating.
Kate Bingham, chair of the UK Government Vaccine Taskforce, told the committee that a jab being trialled at the University of Oxford was the “most advanced vaccine anywhere in the world” and could be available by the end of the year.
She said the UK would be looking at early 2021 to get the vaccine out.
But Professor Sarah Gilbert, who is leading the Oxford research, said: “I hope we can improve on those timelines and come to your rescue.”
She said the injection had shown the right sort of response in early trials, indicating that it is safe and unlikely to make people become
more seriously ill.About 8,000 people have been vaccinated in the UK, but with rates falling the study has turned to volunteers in countries including Brazil and South Africa where the infection rate is higher.
Asked when the results would be available, Prof Gilbert said: “I can’t give you a precise answer because it just depends on what happens in these different trials. We are maximising our opportunity to determine vaccine efficacy but we have to get that result before we can actually decide that the vaccine is ready to be used.As soon as we have the efficacy result and can go through the emergency use licence process, we will be able to start vaccinating people.”
Ms Bingham also said she was optimistic a vaccine would be found eventually but it may not offer full immunity. She said: “Clearly we would like to get to a sterilising vaccine so that people are prevented from being infected, but in the near term we may have to satisfy ourselves with a vaccine that reduces the severity of the disease.”
But John Bell, regius professor of medicine at Oxford, said: “My strong advice is be prepared for the worst. What I’m hoping is we expand the number of people getting the flu vaccine.We’re not messing around. This could be really serious if people don’t get their vaccine.” ●●Coronavirus immunity may be twice as high as previously thought. Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found 30 per cent of people without symptoms had developed a T cell response to the disease.T cells are white blood cells that fight viruses. Most studies focus on antibodies, which have been found in just 17 per cent of people.