Oxford Covid-19 vaccine is still possible this year, says AstraZeneca chief

Pharmaceutical firm's boss says 2020 deadline possible if regulators move fast

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AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine could still be available by the end of the year, or early next year, according to the company's chief executive, Pascal Soriot, despite clinical trials being paused after a volunteer fell ill.

AstraZeneca and Oxford University, which are jointly developing the vaccine and testing it on 50,000 to 60,000 people around the world, halted trials on Wednesday to investigate the potentially unexpected illness" of one participant.