Following positive results from vaccines produced by Pfizer/BioNtech and Moderna there was also good news from the producers of the vaccine at Oxford University and AstraZeneca. Positive high-level results from an interim analysis of clinical trials of the Oxford Vaccine in the UK and Brazil showed the vaccine was highly effective in preventing COVID-19 and no hospitalisations or severe cases of the disease were reported in participants receiving the vaccine.
One dosing regimen showed that the vaccine protected 90% of participants when the vaccine was given as a half dose, followed by a full dose at least one month apart. Test results will be refined when more data is available.
The Oxford vaccine is easier to store and distribute than the others as it does not require very cold temperatures. It is also cheaper at £3 a dose.