There's a report today that the coronavirus vaccine being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca is producing a similar immune response in both older and younger adults. AstraZeneca says that adverse side effects among elderly people are actually lower. A spokesperson says; “It is encouraging to see immunogenicity responses were similar between older and younger adults and that reactogenicity was lower in older adults."
The vaccine the British pharmaceutical giant and Oxford are developing is believed to be a frontrunner for approval from regulators. The announcement is likely to raise hopes that a coronavirus vaccine will be developed before the end of this year.
“It is encouraging to see immunogenicity responses were similar between older and younger adults,” the company says in a statement. “And that reactogenicity was lower in older adults, where the COVID-19 disease severity is higher.”