Kane Dane
Oxford University Milestone Missed
The coronavirus vaccine being developed by scientists at Oxford University may not prevent people from becoming infected with the disease.
In the latest animal experiments of the vaccine carried out on rhesus macaques, all six of the participating monkeys went on to catch the coronavirus.
Dr. William Haseltine, a former Harvard Medical School teacher, revealed that the monkeys who took the vaccine had the same amount of virus in their noses as the three non-vaccinated monkeys in the trial.
This suggests the treatment, which has already got in the province of £90million in government expenditure, may not prevent the spread of the deadly disease.
Still Some Affects
But there is some benefit comes out of it as after first reports last week recommended the vaccine offered some immunity against the virus and stopped it growing deep into the lungs, where it becomes deadly.
The vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 nCov-19, is currently undergoing its first human clinical trial, as nations stimulate their attempts to stop the deadly virus.
Dr. Haseltine Claims
Discussing the Oxford vaccine, Dr. Haseltine wrote on Forbes: ‘All of the treated monkeys indulged with the Oxford vaccine became infected when stimulated.
‘There was no variation in the amount of viral RNA detected from (nasal movements) in the immunized monkeys as compared to the unvaccinated animals.
‘Which is to say, all vaccinated animals were infected.’
Limitations
The vaccine’s flaws were exposed when the full trial results were published last week.
They also show three of the six treated monkeys began breathing more rapidly than normal after becoming infected, making them clinically ill.
However, there was no damage occurred to the lungs. This was observed in two of the monkeys that did not get the vaccine.
Source: Daily Mail
