Britons may not be at front of queue for Oxford vaccine

AN Oxford University vaccine considered likely to come online this year may not be available to British people first, its lead scientist has suggested.

Prof Sarah Gilbert, whose team is receiving UK Government funding, said yesterday that it is focused on providing protection against the virus “as widely as possible across the world”.

Human trials for the vaccine are due to start this week, and Prof Gilbert has previously said she is 80 per cent confident it will work, and that a million doses could be available by September.

However, asked twice by Andrew Marr whether British people would be first in the queue for it, she said: “There are discussions going on about mechanisms for ensuring fair access to all vaccines that work at a global level.”

Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser, yesterday moved to temper public expectations, saying: “All new vaccines that come into development are long shots. Only some end up successful. Coronavirus will be no different and presents new challenges. This will take time.”

Subject to final approval, expected in the coming days, the trials process will begin by immunising healthy 18 to 55-year-olds, then older groups, looking at the safety and immune response to the vaccine. Half of trial volunteers will get the new vaccine, the others a vaccine licensed to protect against meningitis. Volunteers will not know which they have been given.

It is expected that discussions over who gets the vaccine first will take place through the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.