Potential coronavirus vaccine to be trialled from Thursday

Human trials of a potential vaccine for coronavirus are to begin at Oxford University on Thursday, UK health secretary Matt Hancock has announced.

Presenting the daily COVID-19 briefing from the UK Government, this evening, Tuesday, Mr Hancock said: “In the long run the best way to defeat coronavirus is through a vaccine.

“This is an uncertain science, but I am sure that we will throw everything we’ve got at developing a vaccine.”

The health secretary confirmed that two of the leading research efforts into a vaccine globally were taking place at Oxford University and Imperial College London, with both making rapid progress.

“I can announce that the vaccine from the Oxford project will be trialled in people from this Thursday,” he declared.

He added that £22.5 million in government funding would be going towards the Imperial project and a further £20 million would be pledged to the Oxford trials.