AstraZeneca vaccine sculpture revealed by Bristol artist

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Luke Jerram with his sculpture of the AstraZeneca vaccineImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

Profits from the sale of the art work will go to the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres

A British artist has created a glass sculpture of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to mark 10 million vaccinations being given to people in the UK.

Luke Jerram created the piece from the same materials and using the same techniques as those used in medical-grade test tubes and distilleries.

Five limited editions will be produced in aid of Medecins Sans Frontieres to help communities hit by the pandemic.

The donation is in recognition of the global fight against the disease.

Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

Luke Jerram contracted coronavirus in November and still experiences loss of smell, tiredness and tinnitus at times

The piece is the latest in his Glass Microbiology series, external of virus sculptures, and was one of the most complicated to make, said Mr Jerram, who has a studio in Bristol.

He tested positive for coronavirus in November.

Image source, Andrew Matthews

"When I created a sculpture of Covid-19 back in March, little did I know I'd later be among those to contract the virus," he said.

"It's an awful disease and two months on, my sense of smell is shot, I have tinnitus and still feel tired at times.

"During my recovery, it became clear to me that my next artwork should focus on the vaccine, our way out of this global crisis, as a tribute to the scientists and medical teams who have been working collaboratively across the world to fight the virus."

Image source, Luke Jerram
Image caption,

He created a sculpture of the Covid-19 virus in March

He spent a month completing the piece with his team at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland.

It measures 34cm (13in) across and is one million times larger than the actual nanoparticle.

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