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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Technology
Bradley Jolly

Coronavirus breakthrough as vaccine ‘using inhaler could be ready by August'

A vaccine for coronavirus could be ready in the form of an inhaler in just weeks, it is believed.

Researchers at University of Oxford are "80 per cent confident" the Covid-19 vaccine they've been developing will work, particularly on younger people.

Drug company Astra Zeneca will produce two billion doses of the vaccine when it gets the green light, it is reported today.

Professor Adrian Hill, of the university's Centre for Personalised Medicine, reportedly gave the new details in an online lecture this week.

Small bottles labeled with 'Vaccine COVID-19' stickers are pictured with medical syringes (file image) (REUTERS)

He said: “We are guessing that might be around about August time - it might be before if cases do not decline as quickly as we expect, or be later if we run out of cases."

He added the drug will be in the form of an inhaler, it is understood.

The trial, which started in April, began recruiting up to 10,260 adults over 55 and children.

Since then, Astra Zeneca has already agreed to supply 100 million doses of the potential vaccine to the UK. The Anglo-Swedish company has also signed a massive $1 billion deal for a coronavirus vaccine with the US government.

Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates has reportedly given significant funding for the cause.

But the coronavirus drug is still undergoing trials at the university’s Jenner Institute, which is working with the Oxford Vaccine Group on the project.

Currently, there is no vaccine or treatment available for Covid-19 but doctors across the globe are testing current anti-viral drugs to see if they can beat coronavirus.

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