Health security

 

Oxford University coronavirus vaccine trials show strong immune response

A COVID-19 vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca is safe and produces strong immune responses in older, preliminary findings of a phase two trial published in the Lancet Thursday show.

Why it matters: Coronavirus cases are soaring in the U.S. and across the world. The findings from the study of 560 healthy adults, including 240 people aged over 70, follow Pfizer's announcement Wednesday that its vaccine is 95% effective and Moderna's data released Monday showing its version has a 94.5% vaccination success rate.

Of note: The study authors found the vaccine had few side effects and that "volunteers in the trial demonstrate similar neutralising antibody titres, and T cell responses across all three age groups (18-55, 56-79, and 70+)."

What they're saying: Angela Minassian, an investigator at the University of Oxford, said in a statement, "Inducing robust immune responses in older adults has been a long-standing challenge.