Will the COVID Vaccine Finally Arrive... UK Vaccine Developer "Vaccinations to Start Before Christmas"

Adrian Hill, Director of the UK Jenner Institute, "Pandemic May End Next Spring"
Joint Vaccine Development with Global Pharma AstraZeneca
UK Health Authorities Recently Begin Mass Vaccination Preparations

The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, UK. / Photo by Facebook Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] There is a prospect that COVID-19 vaccinations could begin for medical personnel and the elderly starting at the end of this year. This is the claim of Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, who is jointly developing the vaccine with the British global pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

On the 26th (local time), Hill told the British media outlet 'Daily Mail' in an interview, "If emergency approval for the vaccine is granted, vaccinations can begin focusing on those who need it most," adding, "By early next year, the entire population will be able to receive the vaccine."

According to Hill, vaccinations could start as early as before Christmas (December 25). Currently, the vaccine developed by the Jenner Institute is being produced in billions of doses at AstraZeneca's 10 production facilities worldwide.

Hill also predicted, "At least in our country (the UK), the COVID-19 pandemic could end by next spring," and "We will be able to achieve herd immunity through the vaccine."

Earlier this year, the Jenner Institute led by Hill developed a COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on a chimpanzee adenovirus. This candidate vaccine uses a so-called 'vector' method, which involves inserting the spike protein gene sequence of the COVID-19 virus into a virus that infects chimpanzees and injecting it into the body. In other words, it uses an existing virus as a delivery tool to introduce substances that trigger the body's immune response.

Influenza Vaccination. / Photo by Asia Economy DB

Since establishing the Jenner Institute in Oxford, UK, where the University of Oxford campus is located, in 2005, Hill has devoted nearly 15 years solely to research on vector-based vaccines.

The Jenner Institute's vaccine is currently undergoing Phase 3 clinical trials, the final stage of vaccine approval, in several countries including the United States, the UK, and Brazil. Among these, 10,000 volunteers in the UK have been vaccinated.

Last month, the Jenner Institute's vaccine trials were temporarily halted after a participant in the UK reported adverse symptoms. Additionally, on the 21st, news emerged of a death occurring during the clinical trial in Brazil.

However, the participant who experienced adverse symptoms was found to have no causal relationship with the vaccine, and the deceased in Brazil had received a placebo (a fake drug used to verify psychological effects of drug administration), not the vaccine, leading to the recent resumption of clinical trials. The Jenner Institute's vaccine trials are reported to be in the final stages.

Meanwhile, the UK government is also reportedly preparing for mass vaccination in anticipation of emergency vaccine approval. On the 18th, the British media outlet 'Sunday Times' reported that thousands of staff from the National Health Service (NHS) plan to receive COVID-19 vaccination training by the end of the year.

Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer and advisor to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, recently told members of parliament that "the results of the Phase 3 clinical trials, the final stage of COVID vaccine testing, will be available between late October and late November."