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A COVID-19 vaccine may be six months away, according to researcher leading a team of scientists in England.

“I think there’s a high chance that it will work based on other things that we have done with this type of vaccine,” Sarah Gilbert, a professor of virology at Oxford told The Times of London. “It’s not just a hunch and as every week goes by we have more data to look at. I would go for 80 percent, that’s my personal view.”

Scientists around the world are racing to develop treatments for the pandemic which has already left more than 103,000 dead and more than 1.7 million infected. Other countries have also reported progress, including Israel and the United States.

Gilbert warned British production capacity would need to ramp up to ensure supply.

“We don’t want to get to later this year and discover we have a highly effective vaccine and we haven’t got any vaccine to use,” she said. “We don’t think we need facilities built, there are facilities that can be switched over.”

Britain has been hit with at least 73,758 virus cases and 8,958 deaths. COVID-19 has also ravaged the upper ranks of British leadership, with Prince Charles and Prime Minister Boris Johnson both testing positive. Johnson’s case became so bad he was forced into an intensive care unit for three days before doctors reported he was on the mend.