COVID-19: AstraZeneca vaccine trials on hold after participant falls ill

AstraZeneca and Oxford University have announced the suspension of their COVID-19 vaccine trial, which was in one of the final clinical-stages after one of the participants suffered a suspected adverse reaction in the UK.

Why have the COVID-19 vaccine trials been suspended?

Researchers from AstraZeneca and Oxford University have temporarily suspended their coronavirus vaccine trials after one of their participants had a suspected adverse reaction.

The volunteer, who is a resident of the UK, recently fell ill and has been diagnosed with transverse myelitis - a condition that causes inflammation of the spinal cord and is typically caused by viral infections. However, the cause of this has not been identified and now an independent investigation is underway to see if there is any link to the vaccine.

Through a statement released on the health site, Stat News, researchers said the suspension of the test is a routine process and will be maintained until the magnitude of the risks are known to protect the health of all the other participants.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine is seen as a strong contender among many being developed and the outcome of these trials are being closely watched around the world.

Which phase was the vaccine in before it was suspended?

Hopes are high that this particular vaccine could be one of the first to enter the world market after it successfully passed phase 1 and 2 testings. It moved to phase 3, one of the final stages, in recent weeks, involving around 30,000 participants in the UK, US, Brazil and South Africa. Usually, phase 3 trials in vaccines involve thousands of participants and last several years.

According to the latest reports, patients who have received the vaccine so far were able to produce adequate immune responses and T-cells to protect against the coronavirus.

Where were we with a global COVID-19 vaccine?

Some European countries such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Norway have already begun to prepare their own doses, to make a prompt distribution to their citizens at the beginning of next year.

Meanwhile, leading vaccine developers in the United States and Europe have pledged to maintain scientific safety standards for their experimental vaccines despite the urgency to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

The European Union also had agreed to purchase millions of doses of the vaccine in the case it was effective.

Carlos Slim, a Mexican business magnate, participated actively in the production and distribution of the vaccine, intending to make it available in all Latin American countries at affordable prices.

The Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine is one of the most advanced investigations in the world to find a cure against COVID-19. Before the suspension, experts sought to give the vaccines to 30,000 volunteers in more than 80 countries.

When will the vaccine trials restart?

The decision to restart the trial will be taken by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. It is believed to only take a few days, but until then, every international vaccination site in the UK, Brazil, South Africa and the US are on hold.

Stat News is currently reporting that the participant who fell ill will likely be discharged from hospital today.

In a statement from AstraZeneca, researchers want to ‘continue their work at the earliest opportunity to provide this vaccine broadly, equitably and at no profit during this pandemic.’

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