A NURSE from Spain who volunteered to have the 'Oxford vaccine' tested on him says it is working well and 'will be ready to launch on November 3'.
Joan Pons is one of 10,000 people worldwide who agreed to be injected at the clinical trials stage of development, and was interviewed by presenter Ana Rosa on her eponymous show on Telecinco, Spain's fifth channel.
“I feel fine, I haven't got any symptoms,” he revealed.
“They carry out tests on me every week, and I've generated loads of antibodies and T-cells.”
Other testers have experienced 'mild headaches' as a side-effect, but these have 'always been solved successfully with a paracetamol' and they have 'not needed medical assistance', Pons told Ana Rosa.
Speaking live from Oxfordshire, the nurse explained that the vaccine development is now 'about to enter phase four' and 'the thing is going so well that they're already manufacturing it in India'.
Oxford University scientists are looking to getting the vaccine on the market before the end of the year, according to Pons.
“It's not official, but it's almost certainly going to be ready by November 3,” he says.
Although admitting this date has not been confirmed, it seems to have been talked about behind the scenes, says Pons, who adds: “There's no smoke without fire.”
“The vaccine still needs to pass the World Health Organisation test and, when the WHO gives it the green light, it'll start being distributed.
“Oxford University has taken a big risk, because you cannot put a price on human life.”
He urges everyone who is most vulnerable to catching Covid-19 or to potentially suffering it worse because of age or pre-existing health conditions to get vaccinated.
“Once the vaccine comes out, they need to inoculate everyone over 65, because I don't know anyone who's died from having the vaccination and yet I do know many who have died and not had it – nobody should hesitate to get the jab,” Pons stresses.
He confirmed the news which broke yesterday about how Spain has already bought 30 million doses of the vaccine 'off plan', but adds that the country has been given the option to buy another 10 million.
This would mean 40 million vaccines for Spain, or enough for all bar seven million inhabitants.
