Scientists are now working on a new jab to tackle one of the deadliest diseases in history as fears grow that it could make a comeback.
The team behind the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is now working on a new jab to tackle the plague, also known as the Black Death.
The plague first hit Britain in 1348 after being spread to Europe by fleas on rats aboard ships from Asia.
Caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria, the disease spreads when fleas transfer the bacteria from rodents to humans through bites.
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It’s estimated that the Black Death wiped out a third and a half of Britain’s population within that following year. Scientists reported that it then went on to claim over 200 million lives during subsequent outbreaks throughout history.
And it is still feared today with experts warning that it still exists in some parts of the world today and has ‘potential for pandemic spread’ in the near future.
As such, government military scientists have been calling for a Black Death jab to be developed especially as antibiotic resistance is on the rise too.
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A research team at Porton Down’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory previously wrote that traditional antibiotics may no longer be effective against these superbug strains.
According to the team, none of the current vaccines have been approved for use and potential vaccines need to be expedited 'to prevent future disastrous plague outbreaks'.
Fortunately, the team behind the AstraZeneca vaccine has reportedly made huge progress on a new vaccine which could stop the plague from developing.
In initial trials involving 40 healthy adults, the vaccine was found to be safe and capable of producing an immune response against the disease.
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"There are no licensed plague vaccines in the UK," said Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, director of the vaccine-developing group.
"Antibiotics are the only treatment. There are some licensed vaccines in Russia."
He added: "The risk in the UK is currently very low. Previous historical pandemics that had high mortality were associated with initiation from fleas on rodents but were driven to person spread."
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In terms of steps forward, global experts will review the results of the tests conducted by scientists before moving on to further trials later this year.
Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic show how quickly diseases can spread when left unchecked.
Come December 2020, AstraZeneca announced they had ‘figured out the winning formula’ with their two-dose vaccine and it's estimated the vaccine saved 6.3 million lives that following year.