Member-only story
Why the Astra-Zeneca Vaccine Trial Hold is Good News
When I first heard that the Oxford/Astra-Zeneca vaccine trial was on hold, I admit it spiked my depression.
I have high risk relatives in the UK and I would like them to be able to go outside again. Then I thought about it some more.
What Happened?
A UK participant in the trial came down with symptoms consistent with transverse myelitis. This is an inflammatory disorder that can, rarely, be caused by viral infection (including COVID-19) and, even more rarely, by vaccination. The diagnosis has not been confirmed and the volunteer is recovering.
The company has put the trial on pause while experts establish whether the adverse event, as it’s called, was caused by the trial or whether it was a coincidence.
Is this Normal?
Yes! It’s normal for phase 3 clinical trials, particularly vaccine trials, to be paused after a severe adverse event. Any unexplained illness in any participant has to be investigated, and when you’re running a trial with, say, 30,000 people in it, there’s almost certainly going to be at least one such incident.