Coronavirus vaccine being tested at Oxford Uni left monkeys ‘virus free in one month’
A POTENTIAL coronavirus vaccine from Oxford University has kept monkeys immune from the deadly virus for a month.
The promising results comes after top Government experts warned a vaccine might be the only way out of the crisis.
Last month six rhesus macaque monkeys at a testing facility in the US were injected with a single dose of the vaccine developed at Oxford University, according to The New York Times.
All of the monkeys were then exposed to COVID-19, which had made other monkeys without the vaccine sick.
Four weeks later, all six monkeys who had been injected with the vaccine showed no signs of coronavirus.
Lead researcher Dr Vincent Munster said: “The rhesus macaque is pretty much the closest thing we have to humans.”
Around 100 potential COVID-19 vaccine projects are underway around the world, as scientists race to find a vaccine.
At least five of these are in preliminary testing – what is known as phase 1 human trials.
If the scientists find a successful vaccine at least a few million doses could be pumped out by manufacturers by September.
Professor Sarah Gilbert is leading the Oxford trials for vaccine, has said she is 80 per cent confident in producing a working virus.
