The Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca has been approved for use in the UK after meeting the required safety, quality and effectiveness standards.

This adds another weapon to our arsenal of coronavirus vaccines, which also includes the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.

The approval has been described as a "game changer", with the UK having ordered 100 million doses - enough to vaccinate 50 million people. The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine uses a different technology than the Pfizer and Moderna versions to stimulate the body’s natural defences to produce its own protection against the virus.

Read on to learn how the new vaccine works and what it contains:

A researcher in a laboratory at the Jenner Institute, working on the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University

How does the COVID-19 AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine work?

Like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) vaccine delivers the genetic code for making the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. This is the part of the virus that lets it enter human cells. Human cells then use the instructions to manufacture parts of the virus. The idea is that these parts will trigger an immune response, thus coaching the immune system to fight off a future infection.

The difference between Pfizer/Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines is that the former use mRNA as their platform, while the latter use DNA, which is delivered to the cells by using a weakened version of a common cold virus.

Specifically, the "vector" virus used is a chimpanzee adenovirus that has been genetically changed so that it is impossible for it to grow in humans.

Oxford says that adenovirus vaccines have been "researched and used extensively for decades". They are "stable, easily manufactured, transported and stored at domestic fridge temperature (2-8 degrees C)". Compared to Pfizer and Moderna, which need to be stored in much lower temperatures, they can be easily distributed using existing medical facilities such as doctor’s surgeries and local pharmacies.

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What does the COVID-19 Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine contain?

According to the Government guide, the vaccine is a colourless to slightly brown, clear to slightly opaque and particle free solution.

it contains the weakened adenovirus encoding the SARS CoV 2 Spike glycoprotein, as well as the following excipients:

  • L-histidine
  • L-histidine hydrochloride monohydrate
  • magnesium chloride hexahydrate
  • polysorbate 80
  • ethanol
  • sucrose
  • sodium chloride
  • disodium edetate dihydrate
  • water for injections

You should not have the vaccine if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to any of the of the active substances or any of the other ingredients.
