UK expecting COVID vaccine in 3 months, every adult could be inoculated by Easter: Report

A mass roll-out of coronavirus vaccine in United Kingdom could be completed by early 2021, raising prospect of entire adult population in country getting iculated by May. According to a report in UK's Times, COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, which is in its final st of clinal trials, could be approved by regulators in country by early 2021. 

Read: US FDA Investigating AstraZeneca's COVID-19 Vaccine Trial, Says Chief

Times reported that if vaccine gets approval by start of next year, possibility of every adult in country receiving a dose within six months increases. As per report, scientists working on vaccine program hope it could be approved in next three months. While UK government sources told Times that y expect a full programme for adults could take up to six months to complete after vaccine is approved. 

Read: AstraZeneca Begins Final-st Trial Of Covid-19 Vaccine In US, 30,000 Adults To Test Shot

AstraZeneca's AZD1222

AstraZeneca's vaccine AZD1222 testing was paused last month after two volunteers fell ill during final st of clinical trials. However, a couple of days later company resumed trials, while CEO Pascal Soriot said that AstraZeneca is hoping for a vaccine with 50 percent effectiveness and aiming to get approval by end of 2020. AstraZeneca vaccine trials are currently underway in various parts of world such as United Kingdom, India, and Brazil.

Read: COVID-19 Vaccine: AstraZeneca Releases Trial Blueprint, Aims For 50% Effectiveness

AstraZeneca's vaccine is being considered a frontrunner by World Health Organisation (WHO). vaccine uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adevirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. re are nine or pharma companies in world that are currently in final phase of testing a potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Read: COVID-19 Vaccine: AstraZeneca CEO Says 2020 Approval 'on Cards' Despite Trial Pause