(CNN) — Preliminary results of a phase 1/2 trial of a vaccine against coronavirus developed by the University of Oxford suggest that it is safe and induces an immune response. The vaccine elicited an antibody response within 28 days and a T-cell response within 14 days, according to a statement in the medical journal The Lancet.
The trial included 1,077 people between the ages of 18 and 55 with no history of covid-19 and took place in five hospitals in the UK from the end of April to the end of May. Participants received either the covid-19 vaccine or the meningococcal conjugate vaccine, as a control group.
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“The immune system has two ways of finding and attacking pathogens: antibody and T-cell responses. This vaccine is intended to induce both, so it can attack the virus when it is circulating in the body, as well as attack infected cells, ”Professor Andrew Pollard, a senior professor at the University of Oxford, lead author of the study, said in a statement.
“We hope this means that the immune system will remember the virus, so our vaccine will protect people for a long time,” he added.
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“However, we need more research before we can confirm that the vaccine effectively protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection and for how long any protection lasts,” he said.
There were no serious vaccine-related adverse events; Fatigue and headache were the most commonly reported reactions. Other common side effects include pain at the injection site, muscle pain, general discomfort, chills, fever, and high temperature.
The vaccine is one of 23 vaccines against covid-19 currently in clinical trials worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
