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One proposed vaccine in the huge global fight against COVID-19 is being developed by researchers at the University of Oxford and drugs giant AstraZeneca is on track to rapidly produce 30 million doses. Of all the potential vaccines being developed in labs across the world, the Oxford jab is the furthest along in human trials. But as Britain’s case rate tumbled in recent weeks, scientists took the decision to move the trials to Brazil.

The South American nation has become the epicentre of the global outbreak.

On Tuesday 2,258 new cases were added to the overall tally.

A total of 1.1 million COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Brazil.

And 51,407 deaths have been attributed to the disease.

As the rise in cases in Britain fell drastically, it became difficult for researchers to determine if the vaccine was having an impact in the trials.

Speaking on Monday, director of the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, Professor Adrian Hill, said an October release would be part of the “best scenario”.

Prof Hill told a webinar of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology: “This vaccine has shown very good results in trials with chimpanzees, and has already moved on to the next phase of human trials.

“One of its advantages at the beginning was to demonstrate in previous tests that similar inoculations, including one last year against a previous coronavirus, were harmless to humans.”

He said this would be based on the likelihood that clinical trials could continue through August and September.

Hopes had initially been raised about a possible September release date.

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The delay means that the UK Government may be faced with a second crisis as the winter flu season takes hold in October along with a possible second peak of COVID-19.

Doctors have warned that Britain faces a “winter like no other” if another coronavirus outbreak hits in the midst of this year’s flu season.

Meanwhile Brazil is likely to sign a contract this week to produce a trial vaccine developed by Oxford University, the country’s interim health minister Eduardo Pazuello said on Tuesday.

So far, 3,000 people in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have taken part in human trials.

Mr Pazuello said in a hearing with lawmakers that a deal could be signed tomorrow and that other partnerships with vaccines developers could also be forged soon.

This month, Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa approved human clinical trials for the potential vaccine, developed by Oxford and supported by AstraZeneca.

Brazil is the first country outside the UK to start testing the Oxford vaccine.

Brazil’s government plans to roll out a mass test reaching 24 percent of the country’s population of 209 million, a health ministry official said during the hearing.

Further details on the plan are expected to be released on Wednesday.

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