Andrew Lloyd Webber announces he's taking part in Covid-19 vaccination trial this week
© Dan Wooller for WhatsOnStage
Famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has revealed that he will be taking part in a Covid-19 vaccination trial this week.
Taking to Twitter, Lloyd Webber revealed that he will be 'vaccinated for the Oxford Covid-19 trial', as part of ongoing tests to provide a way to slow the spread of the ongoing pandemic and prevent further deaths.
Discussing the imminent trial, Lloyd Webber added "I'll do anything to prove that theatres can re-open safely." The venue owner and creator of a raft of iconic musicals has certainly been working intensely to try and get venues re-opened – having run trial performances at The London Palladium and shipped over equipment from South Korea to install in his venues.
Lloyd Webber's newest musical, Cinderella, is due to open at the Gillian Lynne Theatre next spring, starring Carrie Hope Fletcher.
The Oxford vaccine reportedly produces a 'strong immune response' in trials conducted so far, though no indication that it is ready for mass consumption has been given. On 20 July, the Oxford University scientists working on the trial said it was faring well, and that they were taking 'the next step towards the discovery of a safe, effective and accessible vaccine against coronavirus.' The Oxford vaccine is said to be one of the most developed in the world. Thus far, tests have produced 'no early safety concerns and induced strong immune responses in both parts of the immune system', with large-scale tests conducted in Brazil. The results of Lloyd Webber's test are to be announced.
