Oxford University scientists are hopeful that they can have a coronavirus vaccination available for autumn and will begin trials on humans next week.
According to MailOnline, tests of the experimental jab on different animals have shown promise - and the next step is to use it on humans to prove it is safe.
The university's programme has apparently already recruited 510 people, aged between 18 and 55 to take part in this first stage.
Advert
It is believed that the volunteers will receive either the vaccine or a control injection so that comparisons can be made between the two.
The vaccine has already been tested on chimpanzees, who were injected with the coronavirus to produce antibodies that can be used to aid the immune system of humans.
Professor Adrian Hill, who will lead the research, said: "We are going into human trials next week. We have tested the vaccine in several different animal species.
Advert
"We have taken a fairly cautious approach, but a rapid one to assess the vaccine that we are developing."
It is hoped that the vaccine will be ready by September but the university is trying to raise money to scale up the manufacturing of it.
Professor Hill continued: "We're a university, we have a very small in house manufacturing facility that can do dozens of doses. That's not good enough to supply the world, obviously.
Advert
"We are working with manufacturing organisations and paying them to start the process now.
"So by the time July, August, September comes - whenever this is looking good - we should have the vaccine to start deploying under emergency use recommendations.
"That's a different approval process to commercial supply, which often takes many more years.
Professor Hill added: "There is no point in making a vaccine that you can't scale up and may only get 100,000 doses for after a huge amount of investment.
Advert
"You need a technology that allows you to make not millions but ideally billions of doses over a year."
It's okay to not panic. LADbible and UNILAD's aim with our Coronavirus campaign, Cutting Through, is to provide our community with facts and stories from the people who are either qualified to comment or have experienced first-hand the situation we're facing. For more information from the World Health Organisation on Coronavirus, click here.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: UK News, News, Coronavirus, UK