Coronavirus: the safe and effective Oxford vaccine

In the race in which world laboratories are engaged to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, it is up to the University of Oxford, an ally of the AstraZeneca laboratory, to stand out. Their remedy is said to be effective against the virus and safe for patients.

The study, published in The Lancet, was based on tests carried out on 560 healthy adults, including 240 over the age of 70. It was found that in the latter the vaccine triggered an immune response similar to that of young adults. An encouraging result, when we know that the elderly are a population at particular risk for the coronavirus.

According to the study, within 14 days of serum inoculation, the T lymphocytes were able to find and attack the cells infected with Covid-19. Then, within 28 days of the recall, the antibodies responded present.

These results now need to be confirmed in phase 3, carried out on thousands of people, including people with health problems (the researchers indicated that for phase 2, people were all in good physical condition, even in the over 70s, and most some were non-smokers).

Scientists were also satisfied with the few side effects induced by the vaccine.

Astra-Oxford thus invites itself to “competition” between laboratories, to rapidly provide a remedy against the coronavirus. Pfizer-BioNTech reported that its treatment was 95% effective, while Moderna reported 94.5% for hers.

Convincing results also a Russian and a Chinese vaccine, as well as the French group Sanofi.