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Professor Luke O’Neill says he believes we are now entering the ‘end’ of the coronavirus pandemic if all goes well.
The Trinity College immunologist says widespread vaccination programs could be implemented as early as March, given current progress.
Comes after positive results of a third vaccine trial.
The University of Oxford and AstroZeneca said that trials show their vaccine is 70% effective and could be as effective as 90% depending on how the jab is administered.
It comes after two other vaccine candidates showed greater than 90% efficacy from their own trials.
Professor O’Neill said The pat kenny show This is not the time to “jump up and down” yet, as we still need to see all the data.
However, he said: “I’m trying to hold back this morning, because this is the third Monday that we have a big announcement about a vaccine … and this looks remarkable.
“Again, this is a press release, so we would like to see the data, to start with a caveat.
“They are 70% effective in the trial. In fact, it goes up to 90% if they use a slightly different protocol. This can reach 90% just like the other two.”
He said the Oxford vaccine is particularly exciting as it appears to work with older people and can be easily implemented as it can be kept at normal refrigerator temperatures.
He explained: “Again, we wait for the data and some safety analysis … but can you believe three Mondays, three shots?
“In my opinion, we are now at the end of this disease if all goes well.”
‘Now we are entering the end if all goes well’, @ laoneill111 has the latest news on vaccines. @PatKennyNT pic.twitter.com/LNMWxtmWPM
– NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) November 23, 2020
The vaccine is already being produced in ten different countries, and Professor O’Neill says there is “no question” that Ireland will get a share through the EU.
AstroZeneca and Oxford are also interested in making sure it reaches low- and middle-income countries.
Oxford essays
Two separate trials were conducted to test the Oxford vaccine candidate.
In the first, they gave the volunteers a low-dose vaccine followed by a booster. This method was shown to be 90% effective.
The second involved a high dose followed by another high dose, and that was 62% effective, representing an average of 70% in the two trials.
Professor O’Neill explained: “It sounds a bit complicated, but this is great immunology.
“What’s happening is the lower dose is tickling the immune system … it doesn’t excite it too much. Then the second dose comes in and you get a massive response.
“If you give a high dose at first, it overwhelms the immune system a bit … maybe that’s why the first low dose and the second high dose were 90% effective.”
Professor O’Neill said the scientists tried both approaches because they wanted to get “the best possible result.”
He also said that a lower dose could lead to less reaction at the injection site and fewer flu-like symptoms.
However, he emphasized that even 70% efficiency would be an “excellent” result.
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