BREAKING: Oxford resumes trial of coronavirus vaccine

Oxford University has said that trials will resume across all clinical trial sites in  the United Kingdom for the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by the university in partnership with AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company.

Trial of the vaccine was stopped due to a reported side effect in a patient in the UK. AstraZeneca  had issued a statement on Tuesday  saying the late-stage studies of the vaccine had been paused while the company investigated whether the patient’s reported side effect was  connected with the vaccine.

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But, Oxford University on Saturday confirmed that trials would resume across all UK clinical trial sites.

The University of Oxford said, “’The ongoing randomised controlled clinical trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 will resume across all UK clinical trial sites.

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“Globally some 18,000 individuals have received study vaccines as part of the trial.

“In large trials such as this, it is expected that some participants will become unwell and every case must be carefully evaluated to ensure careful assessment of safety.

“On Sunday (06/09/2020) our standard review process triggered a study pause to vaccination across all of our global trials to allow the review of safety data by an independent safety review committee, and the national regulators. All routine follow-up appointments continued as normal during this period.

“The independent review process has concluded and following the recommendations of both the independent safety review committee and the UK regulator, the MHRA, the trials will recommence in the UK.”

It did not give any information  about the patient or the nature of the side effect were given.

But the New York Times has previously reported the patient had been diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome which affects the spinal cord and is often sparked by viral infections.