Brazil halting coronavirus vaccine CoronaVac trial surprises the world

Brazil's health regulator has halted clinical trials of the potential coronavirus vaccine CoronaVac, citing an “adverse, serious event.” The decision posted on Anvisa's website Monday night elicited immediate surprise from parties involved in producing the vaccine.

The potential vaccine is being developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac and in Brazil would be mostly produced by Sao Paulo's state-run Butantan Institute. Sao Paulo state's government said in a statement it “regrets being informed by the press and not directly by Anvisa, as normally occurs in clinical trials of this nature.”

Butantan said in a statement that it was surprised by Anvisa's decision and that it would hold a news conference Tuesday.

The CoronaVac shot has already stirred controversy in Brazil, where President Jair Bolsonaro has cast doubt on its prospective effectiveness. 

He sparked confusion last month when he publicly rejected it, saying Brazilians would not be used as guinea pigs.

Two new Covid-19 cases in White House: Report

Two more people close to US President Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, media reports said on Monday.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. 69, has contracted the virus, his deputy chief of staff Coalter Baker told NPR.

"He is in good spirits and feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery," Baker said in a statement.

According to ABC television, Carson was briefly treated at Walter Reid military hospital outside Washington DC, where Trump himself was treated for the virus. Carson had spent Tuesday evening at the White House watching the election results come in. Another top aide to the president, David Bossie, was also at the White House event and tested positive on Sunday and has been self-isolating at home, NBC news said.  Bossie, 55, was tapped a few days ago to lead the president's legal challenges to the election results. AFP