The University of Oxford’s possible COVID-19 vaccine could be rolled out by the end of the year but there is no certainty that will happen, the lead developer of the vaccine said on Tuesday.
“The crucial thing is that we get enough people exposed to the virus who’ve also had the vaccine that we can actually get some proper adjudication of whether it prevents the disease and remains safe,” John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine at the University of Oxford, told BBC Radio.
“We’re hopeful, particularly given the low incident rates in the UK that the individuals recruited in Brazil and South Africa will ultimately be able to provide us with the data.”
There are no approved vaccines for COVID-19, but the World Health Organization has said AstraZeneca’s shot is one of the leading candidates.
