The first volunteer in UK coronavirus trial for covid-19 vaccine is reportedly dead. The news was widely shared on social media on Sunday, 26th April, 2020
The articles mostly read: ‘First Volunteer in UK Coronavirus Trial, Elisa Granatos Dies.’
Some media houses in Nigeria, also reported on Monday that the first volunteer in the UK vaccine died.
On its part however, Reuters Fact Check team reported on Monday the 26th, that the news is false adding that Granatos is not dead.
Eliza Granatos volunteered to be injected with the Oxford University produced vaccine on Thursday, 23rd April. The University also confirmed on the 26th that she is “Alive and well.”
The researchers have indeed commenced production of large scale quantities even if the results of the trials are still being awaited. At least 1 million doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, are already being manufactured by the British scientists. They will be available by September, 2020 irrespective of the success rate of the trials.
Adrian Hill, a director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford told reporters in an online news briefing that, “We have started at-risk manufacturing of this vaccine not just on a small scale … but with a network of manufacturers in as many as 7 different places around the world.”
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock last week, announced that he had a generous budget to pull the vaccine research, human trial and production through. He said he was excited to have UK as the first country to successfully come up with the breakthrough vaccine.
Related story:
Coronavirus Vaccine Human Trials U K Starts Thursday
f #COVID19