The hopes of Oxford University’s Corona Vaccine coming in October were dealt with a jolt after the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said it had “voluntarily paused” a randomized clinical trial after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness.
The Drug by AstraZeneca and Oxford University is a frontrunner in the global race for a Covid-19 vaccine. This has cast a gloom over the hopes of the World to get hands-on the Vaccine as soon as possible. However, Researchers say there is nothing to worry and it is a routine process in clinical trials.
“Holds during clinical trials are not uncommon, but this is the first time it has happened for a Covid-19 vaccine trial. The trials are halted when there is an issue and they are resumed when the root cause is found. Sometimes, it may even happen due to issues that may not be because of the vaccine. But they are halted keeping in mind abundant caution,” the researchers say.
It was not immediately clear where the patient was, or the nature and severity of their illness. The duration of the pause can be determined only when those details are known. Meanwhile, Serum Institute, the partner of the vaccine in India confirmed that India trials are going on and there is nothing to worry about since what has happened there is not vaccine-related.
