Oxford vaccine produces immune response among the elderly and young alike, raising hopes of effectiveness

Getting weary of masks and sanitisers? We bring good news!

One of the world's top contenders for an effective coronavirus vaccine was recently able to trigger immune responses among the old and young alike. 

Developed by the University of Oxford, the vaccine was able to trigger a response among both the young, as well as the elderly. 

The candidate vaccine produced lower adverse responses among the aged, the company helping in its manufacturing - AstraZeneca Plc announced on Monday.

The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 1.15 people across the world, shutting down economies globally, and crippling life for billions alike.

Also read: Abnormalities spotted in lungs of 60% coronavirus patients months later: Oxford University study

"It is encouraging to see immunogenicity responses were similar between older and younger adults and that reactogenicity was lower in older adults, where the COVID-19 disease severity is higher," an AstraZeneca spokesman announced.

"The results further build the body of evidence for the safety and immunogenicity of AZD1222," the spokesman said. AZD1222 is the technical name of the vaccine.

The vaccine might become the first to receive regulatory approval, alongside vaccine candidates by Pfizer and BioNTech.

This is especially important in terms of the response produced among the elderly, for that age group falls under the most vulnerable category, and the immune system is weakened over time. Additionally, the old people are also at the highest risk of dying from the virus.

Work on the Oxford vaccine began in January 2020. Commonly referred to as AZD1222 or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, the vaccine is based on the "viral vector" imprint, and is derived from a weakened version of the common cold virus.

Also read: COVID-19 survivors experience symptoms months after catching virus: Oxford University

The chimpanzee cold virus has undergone genetic modifications to become part of the vaccine. This modification is done in the spike protein, from where the COVID-19 virus gains entry into human cells. 

Scientists hope that the human body will attack COVID-19 if seen again.

According to the Financial Times, the details of the findings will be published in a clinical journal shortly.

In anticipation of successful responses, AstraZeneca has signed multiple supply and manufacturing deals with companies and governments around the globe. The company is preparing to divulge details of the late-stage clinical trial.

The company announced on Friday that the US trials of the vaccine resumed after receiving approval from US regulators.

According to The Sun, a hospital in London will receive the first batches of the vaccine, which will be administered on its staff.