Coronavirus: Oxford vaccine elicits immune response

The coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University is safe and causes an immune response.

In a trial of 1,077 people, injections produced antibodies and T cells that could fight the coronavirus.

Investigation result While very promising, it’s still too early to see if this is enough to provide protection, and larger trials are underway.

The UK has already ordered 100 million doses of vaccine.

How does the vaccine work?

A vaccine called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is being developed at an unprecedented rate.

Made from a genetically modified virus that causes a chimpanzee cold.

Initially, it has changed so much that it can’t cause infections or make it look like a coronavirus.

Scientists do this by transferring the genetic instructions for the “spike protein” of coronavirus, an important tool that it uses to enter our cells, into the vaccine they were developing. It was.

This means that the vaccine resembles a coronavirus and can learn how the immune system attacks it.

What are antibodies and T cells?

Until now, much of the focus on coronavirus has been on antibodies, but these are only part of our immune defense.

Antibodies are small proteins made by the immune system that attach to the surface of viruses.

Neutralizing antibodies can neutralize the coronavirus.

T cells, a type of white blood cell, can regulate the immune system and identify and destroy cells in the infected body.

Almost all effective vaccines induce both antibody and T cell responses.

T cell levels peaked 14 days after vaccination and antibody levels peaked 28 days after vaccination. As the study at Lancet has shown, this study hasn’t lasted long enough to understand how long they last.

Professor Andrew Pollard of the Oxford Research Group told the BBC: “The results published today include both neutralizing antibodies and T cells, so I’m very happy.

“They are very promising and believe in a type of response that may be related to protection.

“But the main question that everyone wants to know is whether the vaccine works or it provides protection… and we are waiting.”

This study shows that 90% of people develop neutralizing antibodies after a single dose. Only 10 were dosed twice and all produced neutralizing antibodies.

“I don’t know what level of protection is needed, but a second dose can maximize the response,” Pollard told the BBC.

Is it safe?

Yes, but there are side effects.

Although there were no dangerous side effects of vaccination, 70% of those in the trial developed fever or headache.

Researchers say this can be managed with paracetamol.

According to Professor Sara Gilbert of Oxford University in the United Kingdom:

What are the next steps in the trial?

The results so far are promising, but their main purpose is to make sure that the vaccine is safe enough to give to people.

This study cannot show whether the vaccine can prevent people from getting sick or reduce the symptoms of Covid-19.

In the UK, more than 10,000 people will participate in the next phase of the exam.

However, the trials have been extended to other countries as the levels of coronavirus in the UK are low and it is difficult to know if the vaccine is effective.

There is a large trial involving 30,000 in the US, 2,000 in South Africa and 5,000 in Brazil.

There is also a call to execute “Challenge trial” Vaccinated people are knowingly infected with the coronavirus. However, there are ethical concerns due to lack of treatment.

When will the vaccine arrive?

The coronavirus vaccine may prove effective by the end of the year, but it is not widely available.

Healthcare workers are prioritized as are people who are considered at high risk for Covid-19 due to age or medical condition.

But even if everything goes to plan, widespread vaccination is likely, at least next year.

Boris Johnson said: “Obviously there’s hope, but I’ve crossed my fingers and I’m 100% confident that a vaccine will be available this year, or indeed next year.

“We are not there yet.”

How are other vaccines improving?

The Oxford vaccine is not the first to reach this stage, with groups in the US and China reporting similar results.

American company Moderna First from the block And the vaccine can produce neutralizing antibodies. They are injecting coronavirus RNA (its genetic code) and begin making viral proteins to provoke an immune response.

Companies BioNtech and Pfizer They also used their RNA vaccine with positive results.

Technology similar to Oxford developed in China, Seems promising again..

However, all of these approaches are at the absolute boundaries of science and have never been proven to work.

More traditional methods of vaccine development are also being investigated. Varneva takes the entire coronavirus, inactivates it and then injects it.

There are a total of 23 coronavirus vaccines in clinical trials worldwide, with an additional 140 in early development.

Will the UK be vaccinated with a coronavirus vaccine?

The UK government has traded 190 million doses Of different vaccines..

Also this:

• 100 million doses of Oxford vaccine made from genetically modified viruses
• 30 million doses of BioNtech / Pfizer vaccine injected with part of the coronavirus genetic code
• 60 million Valneva inactivated coronaviruses

Given that there are vaccines available for vaccination in 66 million countries, it is unclear which ones are effective, but these have been paid.

Kate Bingham, chairman of the UK Vaccine Task Force, told the BBC: One of them has proven to be safe and effective in practice.

“It’s unlikely for everyone to be a single vaccine.

“We may need different vaccines for different groups of people.”

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