Vaccine currently tested in São Paulo causes immune response

Preliminary results suggest that the Covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and British-Swedish lab AstraZeneca induced strong antibody and T-cell immune responses, said medical journal The Lancet. The vaccine is currently being tested in a group of volunteers in São Paulo, in a trial organized by the Federal University of São Paulo.  

In the study, published on Monday, researchers found the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine “showed an acceptable safety profile, and homologous boosting increased antibody responses,” therefore making it fit for a phase 3 trial on a larger scale. 

The antibodies remained strong after 56 days of trials and, though the vaccine caused minor side effects, some of these could be reduced by taking paracetamol. According to the journal, there were no serious adverse events. 

The breakthrough development happens on the same day as another potential vaccine developed by Chinese lab Sinovac Biotech arrived in São Paulo. Tests will be initially administered to health workers in five states — and then in 9,000 volunteers. Over 1 million people have signed up to take part in the trial.

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