The human trials of Covid-19 vaccine, being developed by the University of Oxford, has been put on hold after a UK participant had an adverse reaction to it.
AstraZeneca, the biopharmaceutical giant in a tie-up with the university to produce the vaccine, described the pause as a “routine” one following what was “an unexplained illness”.
The trials had moved into Phase III after successful Phase I and II testing had raised worldwide hopes that it would be ready by early next year as results showed that it produced a positive immune response.
Meanwhile, the health authorities in India today said some high Covid-19 burden states were missing out positive patients by failing to run the gold standard RTPCR tests on symptomatic people found negative in rapid antigen test results.
Central teams deputed in 10 states — including Punjab — witnessing recent surges have reviewed local situations and in their feedback to the Health Ministry said that many states were not conducting RTPCR on symptomatic people who had tested negative in rapid antigen tests.
