Inoculation may provide protection from severe diseases, says Oxford's vaccine head

Coronavirus vaccines may be able to offer protection against severe diseases, Oxford Vaccine Group's head Andrew Pollard said on Wednesday.

Currently, COVID-19 is evolving with new variants popping across the world, including places like Britain and South Africa. These variants are reportedly more transmissible than the original variant.

He also said that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine will be effective against new variants while adding that "they are making changes that allow them to avoid human immune responses so that they can still transmit."

"So, that does mean that it's likely over time that the virus will find ways of adapting so that can continue to pass between people," he said in a conversation with BBC.

"But that doesn't mean that we won't still have protection against severe disease... The virus is much more about the virus being able to continue to survive, rather than trying to cause harm to us", Pollard added.

Also read: Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to cost ₹200 a vial in India; purchase order placed with SII: Reports

The low cost and easily transportable AstraZeneca and Oxford University COVID-19 is being distributed in the UK. Brian Pinker, an 82-year-old retired maintenance manager, was the first person to receive the jab at Oxford's Churchill Hospital, NHS England said.

Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is being hailed as one of the cheapest and most accessible vaccines as the shots can be stored at fridge temperature, making the transportation and storage easier than the rest.

Also read: UK administers first shot of AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine

Researchers from the University of Oxford and pharmaceutical major AstraZeneca in December said that their vaccine is safe and has an efficacy of 70.4%.

The university said the new study published in the 'Lancet' medical journal is the first peer-reviewed publication of phase 3 data from studies of a vaccine against the coronavirus.