In an infographic, the FT illustrates how the immune system responds to the virus.

(Click on image to enlarge)

While at least one source corroborated the company's optimistic spin on the data, another scientist quoted by the FT cautioned that the data are hardly conclusive. And for now, at least, it's impossible to make a statement about timing with certainty.

The "Phase 3" trial data isn't even in yet, and besides, nobody can say for sure how British regulators might interpret the data once it is.

But investors and the public will be watching, probably with a great deal of intensity considering that President Trump's comments about how little we know w/r/t viral immunity during the final presidential debate with Joe Biden have brought that issue back to prominence.

This hasn't stopped the British health system from placing an extremely high degree of confidence in the vaccine. Staff at a major London hospital trust have been told to be ready to receive the first batches of the vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, according to British tabloid the Sun.