taken on August 13, 2020, a lab technician sorts blood samples for
a COVID-19 vaccination study at the Research Centers of America in
Hollywood, Florida. – The Trump administration has urged US states
to get ready to distribute a potential Covid-19 vaccine by November
1, media reported on September 2, 2020, in the latest sign of the
accelerating race to deliver a vaccine by year’s end. CHANDAN
KHANNA / AFP.
Clinical trials on one of the most advanced
experimental Covid-19 vaccines, which is being developed by
pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University, were
“paused” Tuesday after a volunteer developed an unexplained
illness.
With billions of people around the world still suffering with
the fallout of the pandemic and the global death toll nearing
900,000, a worldwide race for a vaccine is underway, with nine
companies already in late-stage Phase 3 trials.
Worldwide infections to date now stand at more than 27 million,
and more than 890,000 people have died from the disease.
Russia has already approved a vaccine, and research published in
The Lancet medical journal last week said patients involved in
early tests developed antibodies with “no serious adverse events”,
although scientists cautioned the trials were too small.
A spokesperson for the AstraZeneca vaccine said in a statement
“we voluntarily paused vaccination to allow review of safety data
by an independent committee”.
“This is a routine action which has to happen whenever there is
a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials, while it is
investigated, ensuring we maintain the integrity of the
trials.”
The company said that in large-scale trials, illnesses will
sometimes happen by chance, but must be reviewed independently.
AstraZeneca did not offer further details, but David Lo, a
professor of biomedical sciences at the University of California,
Riverside, told AFP the pause may not necessarily be a setback.
“Probably right now it’s just being cautious — it’s a pause,
it’s not the same thing as saying, ‘We can’t move forward’,” said
Lo.
“In some ways I’m quite relieved, it means they’re really paying
attention.”
The volunteer may have experienced an adverse reaction already
seen in earlier patients such as fever and soreness, but in a more
severe form, Lo added.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
– ‘Standard process’ –
Britain’s health minister Matt Hancock said it was not the first
pause in the trials of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“It’s a standard process in clinical trials. There was a pause
earlier in the summer and that was resolved without a problem,” he
told Sky News.
China, meanwhile, put its homegrown vaccines on display for the
first time at a Beijing trade fair this week, and authorities hope
it will be approved for use by the end of the year.
The economic fallout from the virus continues to wreak havoc on
economies around the world, with governments desperate to get back
to normality.
South Africa announced its economy had shrunk by more than half
in the second quarter, as the epidemic took its toll on Africa’s
most industrialised state.
Latin America and the Caribbean surpassed 300,000 virus deaths.
Argentina’s caseload surpassed the half-million mark, while in
Peru, which has the highest per capita coronavirus death rate in
the world, fatalities climbed beyond 30,000.
– Berlusconi signs ‘favourable’ –
European countries were battling with high-profile sporting and
political fallout from the pandemic on Tuesday.
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has tested positive
for the virus, prompting French Prime Minister Jean Castex to take
a test, officials said, after the pair shared the same car to
follow a stage of the cycling event.
France’s football team, meanwhile, was forced to take to the
field against Croatia on Tuesday without star striker Kylian Mbappe
after he tested positive.
The French Open tennis tournament suffered a blow after world
number one and defending champion Ashleigh Barty announced she
would not take part.
And in the world of politics, Italy’s ex-prime minister Silvio
Berlusconi, was still in hospital suffering from the virus.
His doctor, however, was optimistic.
“All monitored parameters… are reassuring,” said Alberto
Zangrillo, adding that Berlusconi’s medical condition was in
“constant favourable evolution”.
AFP
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/09/09/covid-19-vaccine-trial-paused-after-unexplained-illness/