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The UK has seen 293,469 cases of COVID-19 as of July 16. It also has the third highest death worldwide at 45,138, according to John Hopkins University. Experts have warned that only a vaccine can prevent more waves of coronavirus.

Next Monday will see the first early stage data published from the Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine trials.

The news comes from medical journal The Lancet, and is the first vaccine to announce results from human trials worldwide.

Oxford’s coronavirus vaccine began human trials on April 23.

A spokeswoman for The Lancet said: “We expect this paper, which is undergoing final editing and preparation, to be published on Monday, July 20, for immediate release.”

Scientists working on the vaccine, formally known as AZD1222, said that they were encouraged by the immune response they had seen in trials earlier this month.

A preclinical trial on pigs showed that two doses of the drug created more antibodies than a single dose.

Oxford and AstraZeneca’s vaccine is one of over 100 being developed worldwide.

Soumya Swaminathan, the World Health Organisation’s chief scientist, hailed the Oxford vaccine as the “leading candidate” in June.

She said: “Certainly in terms of how advanced they are, [and] the stage at which they are, they are I think probably the leading candidate.

“It’s possible they will have results quite early.”

The Telegraph reported that hopes are high for the vaccine after it showed to develop a “double defence” against coronavirus.

A senior source on the vaccine programmer told The Telegraph that the Oxford vaccine develops both antibodies and white blood cells against COVID-19.

The source said: “I can tell you that we now know the Oxford vaccine covers both bases – it produces both a T cell and an antibody response.

“It’s the combination of these two that will hopefully keep people safe.

“So far, so good.

“It’s an important moment.

“But we still have a long way to go.”

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It comes as Dr Anthony Fauci, US Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has praised an American candidate for the coronavirus vaccine.

Dr Fauci told Reuters that he “feels good” about the projected timetable for Moderna Inc’s vaccine.

Researchers in the US reported on Tuesday that Moderna Inc’s experimental vaccine showed it was safe and provoked immune responses in all 45 healthy volunteers in an ongoing early-stage study.

Moderna started its Phase II trial in May and expects to start a Phase III trial on July 27.

However, Dr Fauci has warned that even if a vaccine succeeds in provoking an immune response, it remains unclear how long that protection will last.

He said: “These are questions that don’t have answers right now, because we’re only six months into the outbreak.”

Previously scientists predicted that a vaccine may not be seen until mid-2021.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told ITV’s Robert Peston that the best case scenario is for the vaccine to be available this year, but it will “more likely” be ready in 2021.

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