Oxford Vaccine Triggers Immune Response, ‘Safe’ in Early Trials

The study showed 90 percent of people developed neutralising antibodies after one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

In what is being seen as very promising results, University of Oxford's coronavirus vaccine has been deemed to be safe while triggering an immune response.

The long awaited phase 1 human trial results are out and have been published in The Lancet. The trial involved 1,077 people. The vaccine produced antibodies and T-cells that can fight the novel coronavirus.

The study showed 90 percent of people developed neutralising antibodies after one dose. Ten people required two doses to produce neutralising antibodies.

While exciting, larger trial results will have to be examined before we can say the vaccine is safe and provides protection. A 100 million doses of the vaccine have already been ordered by the UK government.

Here in India, Serum Institute in Pune has tied up with University of Oxford to produce the vaccine on a mass-scale.

Called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, this vaccine is made from a genetically engineered virus which is then injected into humans. The virus imitates coronavirus – this was achieved when the scientists transferred the genetic instructions for the coronavirus' spike protein.

This means the vaccine resembles the coronavirus and the immune system can learn how to attack it.

According to the study, levels of T cells peaked 14 days after vaccination and antibody levels peaked after 28 days. The study released on The Lancet says it is not known yet how long would the antibodies last.

BBC quoted Prof Andrew Pollard, from Oxford, as saying, "We're really pleased with the results published today as we're seeing both neutralising antibodies and T-cells. They're extremely promising and we believe the type of response that may be associated with protection."

This follows the first published data from the US-based Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine that showed it produces antibodies that can neutralise the coronavirus.

There are over 200 vaccine candidates in various stages, according to the World Health Organisation draft. Twenty-three of them are in human trial phase.

(The article was first published in FIT and has been republished with permission)