Australia ‘not worried’ as AstraZeneca pauses COVID-19 vaccine trial over safety concerns

Australia’s senior health official said that y are t worried about AstraZeneca’s decision to pause its late-st COVID-19 vaccine trial amid rising cases in country’s coronavirus hotspot. Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth told Sky News that hold on trials shows safety is priority for company and investigators.

“With information that I have got at moment, I am t worried about it,” he said.

Australia was expecting to receive its first batch of potential coronavirus vaccine in January after it struck a deal with pharmaceutical companies. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on September 7 that government signed a $1.7 billion supply and production agreement under which University of Oxford/AstraZeneca and University of Queensland/CSL will provide more than 84.8 million vaccine doses.

government has struck a deal with CSL Ltd to manufacture two potential coronavirus vaccines - one developed by Oxford University/AstraZeneca and or by CSL’s own labs in collaboration with University of Queensland. Australian PM said that country will have free access to more than 84.8 million vaccine doses, with early access to 3.8 million doses of AZD1222, Oxford University/AstraZeneca-developed vaccine candidate, in January and February 2021.

“re are guarantees that se vaccines will prove successful, however, agreement puts Australia at top of queue, if our medical experts give vaccines green light,” ded Morrison.

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Pledge by biopharma companies

A day after Morrison’s “ guarantees” disclaimer, AstraZeneca anunced a trial pause due to an unexplained illness in a study participant. nature of illness has t been detailed by AstraZeneca but participant is reportedly expected to recover. Coatsworth said that government has invested in several coronavirus vaccine candidates, “kwing t all of m will get through”.

decision to put trial on hold comes after leing biopharma companies signed a pledge to continue to make safety and well-being of vaccinated individuals top priority in development of first COVID-19 vaccines. companies include AstraZeneca, BioNTech, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Johnson & Johnson, and Moderna, Inc. among ors.

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