Today, the University of Oxford in Britain began clinical trials in humans of an experimental vaccine for vaccination against the emerging coronavirus, expressing its very ambitious hope to make it available in the autumn for widespread use.
While the United Nations considers vaccine the only possible way to return to "normalcy," there are seven of about 100 studies currently in human clinical trials, according to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Similar experiments have already begun in China and the United States, and are scheduled to start at the end of this month in Germany, after obtaining the green light from the Federal Vaccines Authority on Wednesday.
Oxford University research is backed by the British government, and Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced Tuesday that trials for human volunteers will begin Thursday.
The experiment conducted by the Jenner Institute at Oxford University, in its first phase designed to assess the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, will include up to 1112 volunteers, 551 of whom will receive a dose of the experimental vaccine, and the other half a placebo. 10 participants will receive two doses of the experimental vaccine at a four-week interval.
Professor Sarah Gilbert's team estimates the chances of success at 80% and will work in parallel with the research to produce a million doses of it that will be available by September, to be distributed widely in the fall if the experiment is successful.
British Health Service Director Chris Wighty said on Wednesday that the prospect of a vaccine or effective treatment "this year is quite weak ... I think we have to be realistic in this regard - we will have to rely on other social measures, which of course will cause a lot of Confusion. "

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