The Oxford University vaccine against 

coronavirus(COVID-19) being produced by AstraZeneca is

likely to get regulatory approval from the U.K.’s independent regulator by the end of this year for a
roll-out to begin in early 2021, according to a U.K. media report.
The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, which had been formally tasked by the U.K.
government last month with the process of clearance after the jab emerged safe and effective against
the novel coronavirus in human trials, is expected to authorise the vaccine by December 28 or 29 after
the final data is provided on Monday, The Daily Telegraph quoted senior government sources as
indicating.
The Oxford vaccine can be stored in normal refrigerators but like the Pfizer vaccine, it also requires
two doses – with a three-week gap between the two doses for the Pfizer jabs and a four-week gap for
the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
The AstraZeneca, AZD1222, vaccine has taken longer for regulators to assess because of differences
in the efficacy rates found in different groups, ranging from 62% to 90%. However, a study released
this week suggests that leaving an adequate gap between doses is the most crucial way to boost
efficacy, the newspaper reports.
Although the first batch of four million doses will be delivered from the Netherlands and Germany,
the bulk of manufacturing is set to take place in the U.K.
The state-funded National Health Service, which is leading the U.K.’s mass vaccination drive with the
Pfizer vaccine, has drawn up plans for large scale vaccination sites. The news of a second vaccine for
the U.K. comes as the U.S. cleared its second vaccine for emergency use against the deadly virus –
the Moderna vaccine – and will begin rolling out thousands of doses soon alongside the Pfizer
vaccine.
U.K. P.M. called an unscheduled meeting of senior ministers on Friday night to hold talks over a
worrying new variant of the deadly virus, which has been spreading more rapidly across London and
the south east of England.
“We’re hoping very much that we will be able to avoid anything like that. But the reality is that the
rates of infection have increased very much in the last few weeks,” Mr. Johnson said, on being asked
about the prospect of another complete nationwide lockdown in the New Year.
Earlier in the week, all four nations of the United Kingdom – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern
Ireland – agreed to not reverse a change in the law allowing up to three households to get together
over Christmas with relaxed rules between December 23 and 27, but people are being advised to keep
their Christmas bubbles as small and short as possible.
Latest analysis suggests the R number, which represents how many people each infected person
passes the virus onto, has risen above the dreaded mark of one again.
On Friday, the U.K. recorded a further 28,507 cases, along with 489 deaths within 28 days of a
positive coronavirus test, taking the country’s death toll to 66,541.