A coronavirus vaccine could be ready as early as the autumn, an Oxford University research team has said.

The “best case scenario” suggests scientists are aiming for a much more ambitious rollout than previously thought.

However, the Oxford team, one of many working around the clock to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, warned that it was still trying to source funding for manufacturing the potential drug.

The Oxford trial, a collaboration between the University’s Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group clinical teams, has recruited more than 500 volunteers aged between 18 and 55 who will begin the tests this month following an “overwhelming” response.

Asked about the timescale for a potential roll-out, if successful, the researchers said: “The best-case scenario is that by the autumn of 2020 we have the results about the effectiveness of the vaccine from a phase III trial and the ability to manufacture large amounts of the vaccine.”

They acknowledged, however, that such “best-case timeframes” were “highly ambitious” and subject to change.