True: AstraZeneca -Oxford vaccine trials for COVID-19 has been halted after a patient under trial fell ill.

By: Annie Priya
September 16 2020

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AstraZeneca temporarily paused its COVID-19 vaccine trial due to an unexplained illness in a study participant, who is said to recover soon. A British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca's spokesperson, quoted that a large Phase 3 study testing the COVID-19 vaccine has been put on hold due to a 'suspected severe adverse reaction' in a participant in the United Kingdom. The nature of the illness has not been disclosed. He informed of the pause of the major clinical trial in the U.S. that had started in August which is currently taking place at 62 sites across the U.S. Phase 3 testing in recent weeks has involved some 30,000 participants in the U.S. as well as in the U.K., Brazil, and South Africa. AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford are developing the vaccine. Further, AstraZeneca, in a statement, said that in such large trials, illnesses are bound to happen by chance, and must be independently reviewed to check this carefully. A spokesperson for AstraZeneca said that their trials are of the highest standards and that the safety and health of the patient would be of utmost concern during the trial phases. They also explained it was a 'routine action' and that it is speeding up the investigation to minimize any potential impact on the trial's timeline. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.