When Will There Be A Coronavirus Vaccine? Oxford Researchers May Produce Treatment By September

Oxford University scientists expressed optimism this week that a much-needed COVID-19 might arrive much sooner than anticipated.

With human trials already underway, scientists working at the U.K. university recently said they are hopeful that a vaccine for the novel coronavirus will be ready by September. The lab at Oxford had a strong head start thanks to its previous work developing vaccines for other diseases.

The treatment in development at Oxford moved to human trials after it was found to be effective for rhesus macaque monkeys exposed to large amounts of the virus. These macaques, one doctor told the New York Times, are “pretty much the closest thing we have to humans.” The trials now underway are utilizing 1,100 patients, with half receiving the vaccine and the other half receiving a placebo.

“Well personally, I have a high degree of confidence about this vaccine, because it's technology that I've used before,” Sarah Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at Oxford, told CBS News.

According to the University Hospital Southampton, the Oxford vaccine candidate uses a modified and weakened common cold virus from chimpanzees, which is incapable of growing in humans. Like other vaccines, the weakened disease is attacked by the immune system, allowing the body to fight the real thing without suffering through an infection.

In their report, CBS News said that a large drug manufacturer in India is prepared to begin producing the Oxford vaccine as soon as next month.