A coronavirus vaccine could be
available this year, Oxford University
researchers said yesterday after a
“milestone” clinical trial produced
encouraging results.
The vaccine stimulated “robust
immune responses” and there were no
serious side-effects in a phase-one trial
involving about 1,100 healthy volunteers.
The subjects displayed sufficient
levels of neutralising antibodies,
thought to be critical in protecting
against viral infection, to give research-
ers grounds for optimism. A second im-
portant aspect of the immune system,
T-cells, were also mobilised, according
to a study in The Lancet.
The researchers emphasised that it
was not known whether these responses
were sufficient to protect against
Covid-19 but they said that the results
were promising.
Sarah Gilbert, professor of vacci-
nology at Oxford University, who is
leading the project, told The Times: “It’s
all very good news: the vaccine is be-
having as we expected. That’s great.
There’s lots more to do, but really it’s a
milestone.”
Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner
Institute at Oxford, where the research
is taking place, said that the pace of
progress would now depend on much
larger trials in the United States, Brazil,
Britain and South Africa, which will
gauge whether the jab prevented
infections and disease. “It’s possible
Amber Heard said that Johnny Depp
frequently threatened to kill or disfig-
ure her as she detailed their tumultuous
relationship for the first time yesterday.
The 34-year-old actress told the
High Court that the Pirates of the Carib-
bean star had threatened to kill her
“many times” and was violent and abu-
sive when using alcohol or drugs, which
“was often”.
The biggest English libel trial of the
21st century entered its third week with
Depp, 57, watching in court as his
former wife began at least four days in
the witness box.
She claimed that he would attribute
his actions, including punching, slap-
ping, kicking, head-butting and chok-
ing her, to his demons. Shows of resist-
ance further angered Depp, she said.
“He was always antagonised by shows
of will, like me standing up after he had
knocked me down.”
Depp is suing The Sun over an article
that described him as a “wife beater”.
Heard claimed that Depp had ordered
a private doctor to “keep me sedated...
and basically to stop my body respond-
ing to the world I was living in”.
Depp’s anger, she added, was largely
motivated by jealousy. He believed that
she had had affairs with men she
worked with, she told the court, includ-
ing Leonardo DiCaprio, whom Depp
branded “Pumpkin-head”.
Heard also described “a three-day
hostage situation” during which the tip
of Depp’s finger was severed when she
visited him during filming of Pirates of
the Caribbean in Australia in the month
after their wedding in 2015.
Depp tore off her nightgown and
pushed her naked against a bar, she
said. “He was pressing so hard on my
neck I couldn’t breathe. I was trying to
tell him that I couldn’t breathe. I
remember thinking he was going to kill
me in that moment.”
The testimony was in stark contrast
to Heard’s description of their court-
ship, which she said had been like
“dating a king”.
Death the ‘only way out’, page 5Rhys Blakely Science Correspondent
Doctors, teachers and police are among
900,000 public sector workers who will
get above-inflation pay rises this year.
Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, said the
increases were recognition for the
“vital contribution” they had made dur-
ing the coronavirus crisis. Economists
said that the rise was likely to make the
Tuesday July 21 2020 | thetimes.co.uk | No 73217 £1.10 to subscribersInflation-busting pay rises for doctors, teachers and police
Steven Swinford Deputy Political Editor public sector more attractive to private
sector workers, who are expected to be
hit hardest as the economy recovers.
Teachers will be given a 3.1 per cent
rise; doctors and dentists 2.8 per cent;
and police 2.5 per cent. Pay for the
armed forces, the judiciary and senior
civil servants will rise by 2 per cent; pris-
on officers will receive 2.5 per cent.
With inflation at 0.6 per cent and likely
to remain low for some time, the rises
will mean more money in real terms.
Mr Sunak said: “These past months
have underlined what we always knew
— that our public sector workers make
a vital contribution to our country and
that we can rely on them when we need
them. It’s right that we follow the rec-
ommendations of the independent pay
bodies with this set of rises.”The announcement means that a
teacher on £30,599 will receive nearly
an extra £1,000 a year. A constable on
£32,025 will earn £800 more.
Paul Johnson, head of the Institute
for Fiscal Studies, said: “It’s obviously
significantly above current inflation. It
looks like a response to a fairly pro-
longed period of pay restraint, which
had begun to pull the public sectordown below the private sector and
created issues in relation to recruit-
ment and retention.
“We’re certainly going to see a big
increase in unemployment. In times
like these the additional security of the
public sector is worth something.”
The pay awards for the armed forces,
prison officers, senior civil servants and
Continued on page 2, col 52GJojo Moyes
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a dog, then
lost her
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What exercise type are you? INSIDE
TIMESDepp choked
and punched
me, Heard
tells court
David BrownAmber Heard arriving to give evidence at the High Court yesterday. She claimed
that Johnny Depp threatened to kill her “many times” during their short marriageScientists
give hope of
vaccine by
end of year
that there’ll be a vaccine being used by
the end of the year,” he said.
Boris Johnson called the data “very
positive news”, adding on Twitter:
“There are no guarantees, we’re not
there yet and further trials will be
necessary — but this is an important
step in the right direction.”
Two other vaccine projects, one from
the Chinese company CanSino Biologics
and the other from a partnership
between the American drugmaker
Pfizer and BionTech of Germany, also
issued positive trial updates, raising
hopes that several jabs may ultimately
become available.
In other developments
6 The government secured at least
90 million doses of potential vaccines
from overseas companies in an attempt
to spread its risk between different
technologies.
6 A British drug has been found
dramatically to reduce the chances of
coronavirus patients needing intensive
care, according to early results from a
small randomised trial.
6 The UK recorded 11 more deaths,
bringing the total number of corona-
virus fatalities to 45,312. Figures are
frequently lower after the weekend
because of a lag in reporting.
The Oxford team is one of more than
150 working on vaccines, 23 of which are
in human trials. Hedging its bets, the
government has also struck agreements
with German, American and French
companies to supply vaccines. The
Continued on page 2, col 3Oxford University trial passes milestone
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