AstraZeneca-Oxford University COVID vaccine trials put on hold as participant falls ill

LONDON: As the world is eagerly looking forward to the successful completion of clinical trials of a COVID vaccine, the final clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University have been put on hold after one of the participants had a suspected adverse reaction. 

AstraZeneca described it as a routine pause in the case of ‘an unexplained illness’. The outcomes of the vaccine are being closely monitored around the world as this vaccine seems to be the earliest successful vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2.

After successfully clearing the Phase 1 and 2 testing, the vaccine’s move to Phase 3 testing in recent weeks has involved some 30,000 participants in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa. Phase 3 trials in vaccines often involve thousands of participants and can last several years. 

According to Stats News, the health website which first reported the participant falling ill, said that details of the UK participant’s adverse reaction were not immediately known but quoted a source as saying they were expected to recover.