Human trial of COVID-19 vaccine begins

The United Nations has described the vaccine as the only route back to "normality"

More than 100 research projects are going around the world to find a vaccine

7 vaccines are currently in clinical trials, according to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Oxford University has launched human trial of a potential coronavirus vaccine

The university aims at making the vaccine available to the public later this year.

Such trials are already underway in China and the United States and due to begin  in Germany.

The British government strongly supports Oxford University's work as the first human trials started on Thursday

In its first phase, half of 1,112 volunteers will receive the potential vaccine against COVID-19

The other half will be given a control vaccine to test its safety and efficacy.

The volunteers are aged between 18 and 55, are in good health

These volunteers have not tested positive for COVID-19 and are not pregnant or breastfeeding.

Ten participants will receive two doses of the experimental vaccine, four weeks apart.

Professor Sarah Gilbert's team hopes for an 80 percent success rate

The team plans to produce one million doses by September

However, the research team also says that this timetable is "highly ambitious" and could change.

Many experts call it a financial "gamble" but the current crisis makes it a necessary gamble

The Oxford vaccine is based on a modified chimpanzee adenovirus

The adenovirus produces proteins in human cells that are also produced by COVID-19.

It is hoped the vaccine will teach the body's immune system to then recognise the protein to stop coronavirus

The adenovirus vaccine is known to develop a strong immune response with a single dose

The team claims that the vaccine is safe for children, the elderly and patients with underlying diseases such as diabetes.