UK Buys Another 90 Million New Coronavirus Vaccines, Total 340 Million Doses are Locked, Enough for Every British to Get Five Shots

According to Sky’s latest report, the British government today successfully signed two new coronavirus vaccine supply agreements with Johnson & Johnson and Novavax. The two companies will provide a total of 90 million doses of vaccine to the United Kingdom.

Among them, Johnson & Johnson Group will provide 30 million doses of vaccines, and Novavax will provide 60 million doses of vaccines. If the vaccines are verified to be safe and effective later, they will be officially launched to the British people in the middle of next year, and medical staff will be vulnerable. The population will have priority in vaccination.

Since these two companies are both American companies, as part of the vaccine supply transaction, the British government needs to fund and help the two companies successfully launch clinical trials in the UK in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine in the British population.

Here is also a brief introduction to Johnson & Johnson vaccine and Novavax vaccine.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is similar to the vaccine developed by Oxford University in that it is a recombinant vaccine. At present, the first phase 1/2a human clinical study has been initiated in Belgium and the United States, 1045 volunteers aged 18 to 55 and 65 and older participated in the trial.

According to Johnson & Johnson, the current vaccine can generate a strong antibody response and provide protection with a single dose of vaccination. Phase 3 clinical studies will begin in September, when more volunteers will receive this experimental vaccine.

Novavax vaccine is also a recombinant vaccine, but its progress is significantly faster than Johnson & Johnson, and has completed the early human trial phase-among 131 volunteers aged 18 to 59 years old, all vaccinated There was an immune response.


Novavax’s test showed that after two doses of vaccinators, the level of antibodies produced in the body was higher than that found in recovered patients, and the vaccine was “well-tolerated” overall.
After reaching an agreement with the British government, Novavax expects to recruit 9,000 British adults between the ages of 18 and 85 to participate in Phase III clinical trials in the third quarter of this year.

As of August 14, the British government has ordered 6 different new coronavirus vaccines, with a potential reserve of 340 million doses. If each vaccine is safe and effective, then every British person will get an average of 5 vaccinations.

Kate Bingham, head of the British vaccine team, said that the UK has adopted a 'buy first, test later' vaccine purchase strategy.

Because there is no guarantee that which vaccine will be developed successfully, in order to increase the chances of the government obtaining available and effective vaccines, the government has selected 6 vaccines that are 'hopefully successful' from 4 different types of vaccines. The British government hopes At least one is available.

Regarding today's new order, Kate Bingham, Head of the British government's new coronavirus vaccine procurement group, also said, 'Although we hope that every vaccine we purchase is effective, this seems unlikely. The reality is that most vaccines developed may not be successful.'

'But as an optimistic person, I believe that we will definitely find a vaccine. It does not mean that the new coronavirus can be completely prevented, but it can alleviate the disease, reduce the mortality rate, and turn the new coronavirus into a flu like the flu. The fatality rate is not so high.'