AstraZeneca said on Monday that late-stage trials showed its coronavirus vaccine was up to 90 per cent effective, giving public health officials hope they may soon have access to a vaccine that is cheaper and easier to distribute than some of its rivals. The results are based on interim analysis of trials in the UK and Brazil of a vaccine developed by Oxford University and manufactured by AstraZeneca. No hospitalisations or severe cases of COVID-19 were reported in participants.

According to BBC, the trial's chief investigator Dr Andrew Pollard said there was "a hint in the data" that this dose regime "was also able to reduce asymptomatic infection". "If that is right, we might be able to halt the virus in its tracks and stop transmitting between people."