UK Hospital to Receive First Batch of Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine in November: Report

In its report, the Sun said the hospital staff were told to be ready to receive the coronavirus vaccine 'from the week commencing November 2'.

New Delhi: A major hospital in UK capital London was told to prepare to get the first batch of Covid-19 vaccine being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca Plc as early as next month, a British newspaper reported on Monday.

In its report, the Sun said the hospital staff were told to be ready to receive the coronavirus vaccine 'from the week commencing November 2'.

Earlier in October another report, by the Times, had said a mass roll-out of the Oxford vaccine could be completed in as little as three months.

Scientists working on the Oxford vaccine hope it could be approved by regulators before the start of next year, with some health officials estimating that every adult could receive a dose within six months.

Government sources involved in making and distributing the vaccines told The Times that they expected a full programme, which would exclude children, could take six months or less after approval, and would probably be significantly quicker.

Meanwhile, British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca Plc has resumed the US trial of the Oxford vaccine after approval by regulators. The trial was paused on September 6 after a report of a serious neurological illness in the company's UK trial.

AstraZeneca has a contract to provide vaccine to the United States and other countries after it is cleared by regulators. The Serum Institute of India has tied up with AstraZeneca to produce doses of the vaccine in India. The trials will be conducted on 1,600 participants across the country.

(With agency inputs)