After the adults, children and the elderly will also be enrolled in the tests for the vaccine against Covid-19, which is developing the University of Oxford in collaboration with the Italian company Irbm of Pomezia. Phase I trials, which started in April, involved 1000 adults under 55. Now 10,200 people will be enrolled in the age groups between 56 and 69 years, over 70s and children between 5 and 12 years, as reported by the BBC.
These trials will serve to see the effects on the immune system of the vaccine, which in monkeys seems to have given good results, giving protection against Covid-19. In fact, the animals had fewer particles of the virus in the lungs and respiratory tract, but it is not certain that the same results can be obtained also in humans.
The researchers, who are working on the vaccine, had previously said that they aimed to have at least one million doses of the vaccine by next September , but the British government has said several times that there are no guarantees and that the vaccine is still far ahead. . According to many experts, it will take at least 12-18 months to develop and produce a vaccine. In this trial, adults will be divided into two groups and will receive 1 or 2 doses of the new vaccine or another already authorized. The researchers will then compare the number of infections in both groups. This may take two to six months, depending on how many people are exposed to the virus. "We have already had many expressions of interest from people over 55 to participate, who were eligible to take part in the phase I of the study - comments Sarah Gilbert, of the Jenner Institute of Oxford - Now we can also include groups of older people to continue evaluating the vaccine. The tests will also be done at other study sites, in different parts of the country. "
Meanwhile, Spallanzani of Rome in agreement with the OU of Hematology of the San Camillo hospital and the Department of Oncohematology and Cell and Gene Therapy of the Bambino Gesù hospital, announces that an experiment is underway on the use of hyperimmune plasma by post-Covid convalescent patients . " Spallanzani of Rome makes it known in today's medical bulletin.
