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The Oxford University injection for Covid-19 has been shown to be 90% effective, paving the way for a rapid launch of the vaccine in Britain.
The results of the clinical trial on the two-dose treatment come after rival hits from Pfizer and Moderna were found to be 90% and 95% effective, respectively.
But the Oxford vaccine is much cheaper, as it is partly funded by the government, manufactured here, and can be stored in normal refrigerators between -3C and -8C instead of -80C.
This means that it costs between £ 2 and £ 3 per dose compared to £ 30 for its rivals.
It will also go further than originally thought, as it is most effective when the first of its two doses is half a dose, meaning that the most vulnerable Britons will receive vital early treatment.
And the vaccine is the first to indicate that those who receive the vaccine cannot transmit the virus. The NHS has been told to be ready to start dosing before December 1 with up to eight million ready.
AstraZeneca, a partner at Oxford, said another 30 million initial doses could be made if needed before the New Year.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said we can “rejoice” at the news, adding: “The NHS is preparing a nationwide immunization program that you have never witnessed.”
Here are some key vaccine questions answered as the UK prepares for the largest vaccine launch in NHS history.
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What were the results of the trial?
There were 24,000 participants in the clinical trial, including 12,400 in the UK.
The analysis could be carried out once 131 of them had tested positive for Covid-19 and most were found to be in the middle of the trial without vaccination.
The 131 positive tests may seem like a small number, but it is more than the Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials achieved and is statistically enough to show that the vaccine works.
A subgroup of 3,000 participants from the UK received half of the first dose. This group registered the best results, showing an effectiveness of 90%.
Vaccination of the full dose group was found to be 62% effective.
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Isn’t the Oxford jab less effective?
When the half dose and full dose groups were combined, the Oxford jab had an overall average effectiveness of 70%.
When the first dose was cut in half, the efficacy improved to 90%.
This compares with the 94.5% effectiveness for the Moderna jab available in Spring and a 90% effectiveness result for the Pfizer jab.
However, experts cautioned against the assumption that the Oxford vaccine will eventually be less effective, especially before the full trial data is released.
Professor Danny Altmann, from Imperial College London, said: “I think it is really silly to start trying to distinguish these three on the basis of data fragments from phase 3 of the press releases.
“My suspicion is that by the time we are a year later, we will use all three vaccines with about 90% protection, and we will be much happier.”
The Oxford researchers said the three clinical trials may have different criteria when evaluating what they consider to be a positive case of Covid.
The standard for a good enough vaccine is usually between 50% and 60%.
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Can I choose which vaccine to receive?
The Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Agency will likely establish which vaccines the different groups are eligible for.
Regulators will analyze the efficacy of different candidate vaccines in different population groups.
As this makes up the majority of doses available in the UK, you are more likely to receive the Oxford vaccine.
Who is going to give me the vaccine?
In Britain there are not enough GPs and nurses to vaccinate the population fast enough.
The government has relaxed the rules to allow other doctors to administer injections, including retired doctors, health visitors, physical therapists and pharmacists.
What about the side effects?
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No serious side effects were reported from the clinical trial, but the UK regulator will now analyze detailed patient data before approving the jab.
The after effects reported by some, which are common for most vaccines, included arm pain, headache or fever.
Significantly, the team of researchers said that even these were “much less common” the older the participants were.
Professor Sarah Gilbert of the University of Oxford said: “This is short-lived and is nothing unusual for vaccines.”
Will the vaccine save Christmas?
It is unlikely. While the dosing regimen has yet to be agreed, both vaccines available in the second half of December will be delivered in two doses.
These vaccines generally need to be given up to 28 days apart.
Most people will not develop full immunity until 14 days after the second dose.
Most of the vaccinations will take place in the new year.
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