AstraZeneca trial suspension a wake-up call: WHO scientist

The World Health Organization's chief scientist says the agency isn't overly worried about the pause in the clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.

Dr Soumya Swaminathan called the pause in Oxford's clinical trial “a wake-up call” to the global community to realize “there are ups and downs in research.”

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Swaminathan says early data in human vaccine candidates so far has been “quite promising,” showing the shots trigger an immune response.

But she says trials must be conducted in tens of thousands of people to determine whether a vaccine can safely protect people from infection.

“It could be that we see some results end of the year, it could be next year,” she said.

“We have to be a little bit patient and wait for the results.”