UK Secures Early Access To Promising Vaccine Candidates

The British government on Friday announced that it had secured early access to 90 million doses of two new promising vaccine candidates.

British citizens will receive early access to 90 million doses of the two COVID-19 vaccine candidates should they prove safe and effective.

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By far, the British government has secured access to six different vaccine candidates as part of the government’s strategy to build a portfolio of promising new vaccines should any be found to be safe and effective.

The government has also agreed in principle to co-fund a global clinical trial with the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson to establish how effective their vaccine could be in providing long-term immunity against COVID-19.

The next phase of Janssen’s clinical trials is expected to begin later this year, according to the government.

Supported by the government, another vaccine development company Novavax will conduct a Phase 3 clinical trial of its vaccine working with Britain’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to access their clinical network and expertise.

“While we are doing everything we can to ensure the British people get access to a successful vaccine as soon as possible, nobody is safe until we are all safe so global cooperation is absolutely critical if we are to defeat this virus once and for all,’’ said Business Secretary Alok Sharma.