Vaccine development has ­progressed at an incredible pace, with the World Health Organisation reporting 173 vaccine candidates in pre-clinical ­trials, 64 that have moved to human clinical trials, and three that have ­authorisation for use in the UK. Part of this new wave is a potential new coronavirus vaccine from Oxford University which could be effective at lower doses. Well, it was in pigs that scientists working on the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine first demonstrated that two doses of their drug produced a stronger immune response than one. The pig model has been shown to predict reliable vaccine results for the influenza vaccine. Professor Melanie Welham, ­executive chairwoman at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, said: “These latest results into the immune response from the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine candidate, RBD-SpyVLP, are exciting and promising.

Source: Daily Mirror February 28, 2021 17:30 UTC