OU Researcher Says COVID-19 Vaccine Could Be Ready By October

OU Health Sciences Center researcher, Dr. William Hildebrand, has been working to find a vaccine for COVID-19 from the beginning like many other researcher across the country.

With potential vaccines that have showed positive signs and could be ready soon, Hildebrand said that is thanks to Operation Warp Speed.

“A government agency is giving billions of dollars to let’s say AstraZeneca,” said Hildebrand. “They are getting $1.2 billion from the U.S. government.”

This is something that has never been done before.

“They are not only testing the vaccine, but they are also making it at the same time, and getting it ready for delivery in millions of doses,” said Hildebrand.

The virus has been known to mutate, but Hildebrand said that from what he has seen, that won’t have any effect on making a vaccine.

“This virus does change but it is not excessive,” said Hildebrand. “It is not like HIV, where it changes quickly.”

Hildebrand said overall potential vaccines are moving past clinical phases, with AstraZeneca – Oxford’s moving the fastest.

“They are going into phase three trials and they are passing phase three clinical trials which means people appear to be showing they have had an immune response that is desired,” said Hildebrand.