A modified vaccine aimed at the Omicron coronavirus variant is being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.
Scientists at the British laboratory are intensifying their efforts to find an adjusted inoculation that will slow the spread of the highly virulent mutation, it was confirmed on Wednesday.
It is understood that they have begun adapting the vaccine, two billion doses of which have been delivered worldwide, to be used early in the new year.
The news is a boost for AstraZeneca which has had to contend with negative publicity over a rare blood clot reaction to its original vaccine and research suggesting its double doses were lest effective against Omicron, compared to other shots.
The advance in tackling the new mutation was confirmed by the research group leader at Oxford University.
“Like with many previous variants of concern, and together with our partners AstraZeneca, we have taken preliminary steps in producing an updated vaccine in case it is needed,” Sandy Douglas told the Financial Times.
He referred to the ‘adenovirus’ that causes the common cold, which was used in the AstraZeneca development and is common in many vaccines.
“Adenovirus-based vaccines could in principle be used to respond to any new variant more rapidly than some may previously have realised. [They have] really important advantages, especially where need and logistical challenges are greatest,” he said.
The disclosure means that AstraZeneca will compete with other vaccines in adapting their formulas to combat Omicron.
“Together with Oxford University, we have taken preliminary steps in producing an Omicron variant vaccine, in case it is needed and will be informed by emerging data,” Mr Douglas said.
A study in The Lancet medical journal on Monday suggested that after three months people's immunity induced by AstraZeneca shots began to wane, including against severe disease.
This has further increased the need for people with that vaccine to get booster shots, particularly in Britain and Europe where the majority of early vaccines were AstraZeneca.
But researchers at Oxford and AstraZeneca are optimistic that their advances will enable to them to deliver an adjusted vaccine within 100 days of the development target, from identifying the pathogen to mass production.
The firm could potentially develop millions of vaccines, particularly in partnership with India’s Serum Institute, which would be available for worldwide distribution.
It will then be up to global regulators to consider if Omicron vaccines are required.
New research from America has also suggested that people who have had two vaccine doses could develop ‘super immunity’ against Covid.
A study by Oregon Health & Science University based on research into the blood of 26 people who suffered reinfection showed they developed as much as 1,000 per cent more effective antibodies.
The research was conducted on colleagues at the university who had suffered Covid despite having double vaccination.
“You can’t get a better immune response than this,” said Fikadu Tafesse, the paper’s author from the university’s School of Medicine. “Our study suggests that individuals who are vaccinated and then exposed to a breakthrough infection have super-immunity.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final second leg:
Juventus 1 Ajax 2
Ajax advance 3-2 on aggregate
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Brief scoreline:
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Neves 28', Doherty 37', Jota 45' 2
Arsenal 1
Papastathopoulos 80'
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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