The latest round of recruitment will involve healthy volunteers aged over 70 with up to 150 participants to be recruited in Bristol.
Work on the vaccine, developed by clinical research teams at the University of Oxford’s and , began in January.
It is called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) from chimpanzees that has been genetically changed so that it is impossible for it to grow in humans.
This has been combined with a gene that makes a protein from the Covid-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) called spike glycoprotein which plays an essential role in the infection pathway of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The first phase of the trial took place in April, with the second phase beginning in May, with over 1,000 volunteers recruited in Bristol so far.
Dr Rajeka Lazarus, a consultant in infectious diseases and microbiology at UHBW and one of the Principal Investigators for the study in Bristol, said: "Currently there are no licensed vaccines or specific treatments for Covid-19. However, vaccines are the most effective way of controlling outbreaks and the international community has stepped up efforts towards developing one.
"This vaccine aims to turn the virus' most potent weapon, its spikes, against it – raising antibodies that stick to them allowing the immune system to lock onto and destroy the virus."
, who is also a principal investigator for the study in Bristol, as well as Honorary Consultant 吃瓜网 Royal Hospital for Children, Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Bristol and Director of the Bristol Children's Vaccine Centre 吃瓜网 Medical School, added: "We are delighted to be supporting our colleagues in Oxford by collaborating on this extremely important study."
Professor Finn, who is also the lead of Bristol UNCOVER (Bristol Covid Emergency Research), a group of Bristol researchers united to collaborate on finding ways to overcome the disease, added: "This study will help us to assess whether healthy people can be protected from Covid-19 with this new vaccine and it will also give us valuable information on its safety and ability to generate good immune responses against the virus."
Dr Lazarus added: "Those taking part in the trial will play a crucial role in the global search for a vaccine that protects us all, not least frontline NHS workers, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions."