Covid19 – Oxford-AstraZeneca pauses Vaccine trials in Children
Oxford university paused a small clinical trial in children of the Covid-19 vaccine developed with AstraZeneca, ahead of new risk assessments this week by regulators investigating possible links between the jab and rare but potentially fatal blood disorders in adults.
The vaccine researchers are awaiting the results of a review by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, the U.K.’s drug watchdog, “before further vaccinations,” the university said in an emailed statement. No safety issues have arisen in the children’s trial, Oxford said.
The pause is the latest setback for the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot, which has faced questions about its efficacy and potential side effects even as tens of millions of doses have been administered following safety signoffs in more than 70 countries.
The World Health Organization, which is closely studying the latest data on AstraZeneca’s vaccine alongside other regulators, said on Tuesday it expects to there will be no reason to change its assessment that the shot’s benefits outweigh any risks.
Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease doctor, last week said that the United States may not need AstraZeneca’s vaccine, even if it wins regulatory approval.
