A very polemic test
UK will be the first country to infect people in favour of finding the vaccine
Up to 90 volunteers under the age of 30 will receive a dose of an experimental nasal vaccine before being infected with Covid-19 in the challenge test. The controversial study, if approved by regulators, is expected to intensify efforts to develop a vaccine, with the first planned for early next year only.
During the test, scheduled to begin in January, volunteers will stay at a specialised disease clinic at the Royal Free Hospital in London, where their symptoms will be closely monitored. Results are expected in May next year.
We think that by taking all the precautions we can really limit the infection, and then we should be able to do it quite safely, given the vast experience we have in this field," said Peter Openshaw, professor at Imperial College London.
