Facemasks and social distancing will be needed until next summer, the head of Oxford's vaccine trial team said last night.

Andrew Pollard warned strict rules would have to be followed even if global tests proved successful. He said the first jabs would probably not be available until next year – and then only for key groups such as frontline health workers.

Professor Pollard said that he hoped the final trials could be completed by the end of this year but added: 'Life won't be back to normal until summer at the earliest. We may need masks until July.

If we end up with a vaccine that's effective in preventing the disease, that is by far the best way to control the virus. But in the medium term, we'll still need better treatments. When does life get back to normal? Even if we had enough vaccine for everyone, in my view it's unlikely that we're going to very rapidly be in a position where the physical distancing rules can be just dropped.

'Until we've got a high level of immunity in the population so that we can stop the virus so most vulnerable people are immune, there is going to be a risk. Initially, we're going to be in a position where mask-wearing and social distancing don't change.

'Only when there is a big drop in serious cases will governments feel able to relax these measures. This is a very easily transmissible virus.'

The Oxford University vaccine, produced with drugs giant Astrazeneca, is one of only nine to have reached phase three trials, the final stage before implementation, and is widely seen as the leading candidate to deliver.

In his remarks to an online seminar with Oxford alumni, Professor Pollard explained that, if successful, the vaccine will need approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

He said: 'Once we have the trial results, I can't imagine they will do that overnight.

'They will have to scrutinise the data very carefully – the public would not expect any less.'

The final evaluation, he said, is likely to take weeks, even though he and his team have begun a 'rolling programme' to give the regulatory agency access to the trials while in progress.

Rolling out the vaccine will pose a 'huge logistical challenge', the professor pointed out.

In his remarks to an online seminar with Oxford alumni, Professor Pollard explained that, if successful, the vaccine will need approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

He said: 'Once we have the trial results, I can't imagine they will do that overnight.

'They will have to scrutinise the data very carefully – the public would not expect any less.'

The final evaluation, he said, is likely to take weeks, even though he and his team have begun a 'rolling programme' to give the regulatory agency access to the trials while in progress.

Rolling out the vaccine will pose a 'huge logistical challenge', the professor pointed out.

Oxford's vaccine is based on a genetically engineered type of coronavirus that gives chimpanzees a form of the common cold.

Trials of the jab involve 20,000 volunteers in Britain and other countries being given either the vaccine or a harmless placebo.

Professor Pollard said early results had shown that the vaccine causes the body to make antibodies against Covid, and that these last for at least three months.

Tests on volunteers given the jab in April will soon show whether they lasted for six months. 'The evidence so far in the lab is that the antibodies are able to stop the virus in its tracks,' said Professor Pollard.

At least one person in the trial has become seriously ill, and has had to be hospitalised with the disease, he added.

Kate Bingham, head of the UK Vaccine Taskforce, said there was only a 'slim' chance the Oxford jab could be ready by Christmas.

She said she felt optimistic from the data seen so far in trials. But she warned against assuming a Covid-19 vaccine would be better than flu jabs, which are only around 50 per cent effective.

'It's most likely that it'll be next year,' she added.

      • Churnthrow123 [none/use name]
        arrow-down
        54
        ·
        edit-2
        4 years ago

        There's no proof outside of doomer models that this is necessary. Why the fuck would you keep wearing a mask a YEAR after a vaccine? It's religious cult behavior, not sober material analysis.

        You don't need to "resign" yourself to anything. We all CHOOSE to live like this. This article that OP posted is pure fear mongering, and I'm fucking sick of the Left falling for the bait over and over and over again. L It's made me question the viability of a Left project multiple times tbh, the way that people are so Goddamn guillbile and doomer

            • Churnthrow123 [none/use name]
              arrow-down
              41
              ·
              4 years ago

              Living in a constant state of doom, panic, and resignation. People have just given up on life.

                • Churnthrow123 [none/use name]
                  arrow-down
                  38
                  ·
                  4 years ago

                  Masks - not against it, but I'm only wearing one to required or asked to

                  Social distancing - yes, other than banning events of 5000+. The past 2-3 months have shown that it's mostly been useless. No, I don't think poor histrionic wage cucks need to DIE to feed hooting Boomers burgers, but people need to chill the fuck out. It's OK to meet people in person and live your life.

        • spectre [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          Why would you stop wearing a mask just cause a vaccine exists? If you've taken it fine, but it could be some time until after it exists before people (including you) get meaningful access to it.

          • Churnthrow123 [none/use name]
            arrow-down
            37
            ·
            4 years ago

            Why didn't you wear a mask your entire life? Dude, you gotta get over the death cult mindset.

            • Young_Lando [none/use name]
              ·
              4 years ago

              I cannot believe your hill to die on is no masks like some idiotic chud in fucking October 2020. Shut the fuck up you embarrassing chode

              • Churnthrow123 [none/use name]
                arrow-down
                33
                ·
                4 years ago

                I'm fine with masks. What I'm not OK with is people "resigning" themselves to things always being bad. If you think things never get better, you create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

                  • Churnthrow123 [none/use name]
                    arrow-down
                    21
                    ·
                    4 years ago

                    That's reasonable. Masks are fine, it's just the mindset of "this is how things HAVE to be" forever is really unhealthy, unnecessary, and I wish people would knock it the fuck off. Protecting your neighbors doesn't mean being moaning over sensational bullshit from the media

                    • Bedandsofa [he/him]
                      arrow-down
                      2
                      ·
                      edit-2
                      4 years ago

                      Facemasks and social distancing will be needed until next summer the head of Oxford’s vaccine trial team said last night.

                      Read the first line of the goddamn article jesus.

                      • Churnthrow123 [none/use name]
                        arrow-down
                        21
                        ·
                        4 years ago

                        How do you not understand that the media pushes sensational stories constantly to keep you afraid? Why is the capitalist media suddenly absolutely correct?

                          • Churnthrow123 [none/use name]
                            arrow-down
                            8
                            ·
                            4 years ago

                            Different parts of the Capitalist class have different interests. Most large businesses have been booming during Covid. Even companies like Nike, which you think would do poorly in a down economy where no one is leaving the house, have been booming. Outside of the travel industry, things have been fine. The reports of economic "devastation" are extremely exaggerated, and a blind reading of traditional metrics simply does not reflect material reality.

                            Most of the lost jobs have been precarious service industry jobs. Oh boy, Capital sure hates it when poor, desperate people get even more desperate! Same with civil unrest. Golly, it sure sucks for Capital when the state appears to be weakening!

                              • Churnthrow123 [none/use name]
                                arrow-down
                                6
                                ·
                                4 years ago

                                y-yeah, what could a bunch of poor desperate people do to capital interests in an age of increasing radicalization of younger age groups,

                                Nothing. Who owns the guns in this country? The Right! Which side do the police and military support? The Right! What are "radicalized" younger people doing? Voting for Democrats to change the world, man!

                                  • Churnthrow123 [none/use name]
                                    arrow-down
                                    9
                                    ·
                                    4 years ago

                                    The Left cucking hard on Covid is pretty prescriptive of why we are the state we are - most Leftists are just Liberals who naively think that Democrats and the media are Good and Honest, but get foiled by evil Republicans or "donors" as opposed to a wing of the Bourgeoisie that's fighting the other side of the Bourgeoisie.

            • spectre [he/him]
              ·
              4 years ago

              Since I've learned about it, the idea of wearing a mask when your sick has always been a good idea to me. It prevents others from getting sick, but yeah, I don't want to be the weirdo with a mask and explain it all day (or you look like a week kinda). So there you go.

              When there's a global pandemic of a disease that nobody has immunity to, is known to transmit during it's asymptomatic stage, and threatens the lives of people in my community, it makes sense to wear a mask on a regular basis to reduce their risk levels. Once I take a vaccine (if it's effective) then I probably won't need to worry about it from that point on. I should not have to explain this in October.