'Life will return to normal after Easter,' says Hancock following Oxford University vaccine trial results

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Watch: Hancock says life ‘will start to become normal after Easter’

Life in the UK will begin to return to normal after Easter, the health secretary has said after Easter following news of another coronavirus vaccine breakthrough.

Matt Hancock welcomed the results of a large-scale trial of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and manufacturer AstraZeneca.

Overall, the vaccine was revealed to be 70% effective against coronavirus. However, it can be up to 90% effective when one half dose is given followed by a full dose at least one month apart.

The UK has placed orders for 100 million doses of the vaccine, enough to vaccinate most of the population if it is approved.

Health secretary Matt Hancock said things could begin to return to normal after Easter. (BBC)
Health secretary Matt Hancock said things could begin to return to normal after Easter. (BBC)

The government has also ordered 40 million doses of a jab from Pfizer and BioNTech that has been shown to be 95% effective.

Another jab from Moderna is also 95% effective, trials have shown – the UK has ordered 5 million doses.

On Monday, Hancock stressed that the Oxford vaccine’s rollout is subject to regulatory approval.

He told BBC Breakfast: “Subject to that approval, we hope to be able to start vaccinating next month.

“The bulk of the vaccine rollout programme will be in January, February, March, and we hope that some time after Easter things will be able to start to get back to normal.”

He said manufacturing of the vaccine had already begun in anticipation of positive results.

Asked if the plan was to start vaccinating before Christmas, he said: “That’s right – the NHS is on standby to be ready as soon as this can be manufactured.

“The NHS is on standby to start delivering the vaccine from next month. It’s going to be a huge effort, I think everybody knows, but the NHS will be ready.”

Watch: Oxford COVID vaccine up to 90% effective

Vaccines must be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Hancock told Sky News on Monday: “This is really encouraging news on the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, that obviously we’ve been backing since the start.

“And I’m really very pleased, really welcome these figures, this data, that show that the vaccine in the right dosage can be up to 90% effective.

“Of course, it’s vital that the independent regulator, the MHRA, will need to look at the data, will need to check to make sure that it’s effective and safe of course.

File photo dated 24/06/2020 of a scientist at work in the manufacturing laboratory where a vaccine against Covid-19 has been produced at the Oxford Vaccine Group's facility at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. Data shows that a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University can prevent 70.4% of people from getting Covid-19.
A COVID-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca has shown positive results. (PA)

“But we’ve got 100m doses on order and should all that go well, the bulk of the rollout will be in the new year.”

Trials showed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was 90% effective in preventing people from contracting COVID-19 if one half dose is given followed by a further full dose.

Another dosing pattern showed 62% efficacy when one full dose is given followed by another full dose.

The combined analysis from both dosing regimes resulted in an average efficacy of 70.4%.

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