When will we have a COVID-19 vaccine?

With COVID-19 (caused by the virus officially known as SARS-CoV-2) now responsible for more than 288,000 deaths worldwide (more than 32,000 of which are in the UK), the race is on to develop a viable vaccine, in the hope that lockdowns could be lifted safely and social distancing measures eased. Once a vaccine has created antibodies, these will be able to fight a disease should the person ever come into contact with it for real. The new vaccine being tested at Oxford University, called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, has been created from a virus (ChAdOx1) that’s a weakened version of a common cold. Scientists will now see whether vaccinating with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 will create enough of an immune response to help stop SARS-CoV-2 entering human cells. Of those that do reach the clinical trials stage, a high number do not work. While a coronavirus vaccine is still in development, it’s important to follow Government advice to help prevent to spread of COVID-19.