Have Oxford-AstraZeneca Cracked The COVID Code?

Although very encouraging, the Oxford results fall short of those for jabs developed by US pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer and Massachusetts-based Moderna, both of which have been show to offer up to 95% protection in late-stage trials.

However, the Oxford vaccine is far cheaper, and is easier to store and transport, than the two rival versions.

This might go a long way in it being adopted as the global standard.

Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said“ the positive results from the other developers means it is likely that there will be multiple vaccines on target, which is great news for the world.”

But concerns persist over how long the protection might last, as patients may develop a resistance to the vaccine itself.