Johnson & Johnson, a US-based pharmaceutical company, has put its COVID-19 vaccine trials on hold due to safety concerns following an unexplained illness in a participant. AstraZeneca made a similar move in September for identical reasons. The company released a statement on Monday, claiming that it was unclear what caused the illness and whether it was linked to the vaccine.
Alongside Johnson & Johnson physicians, an independent data safety monitoring board will be attentively watching the participant’s illness, citing reasons of health concerns, and respect for the participant’s privacy before sharing further information with the public. Although serious and seemingly randomly onset illnesses are not uncommon in clinical trials, the patient’s illness adds to existing concerns over the pace of the COVID-19 vaccine development.
Read More: Johnson & Johnson Halt All Covid-19 Vaccine Trials Over ‘Unexplained Illness’
