Saturday, December 13, 2025 | 02:24 PM ISTहिंदी में पढें

Home / Health / AstraZeneca's pause on Covid-19 vaccine trial a 'wake-up call', says WHO

AstraZeneca's pause on Covid-19 vaccine trial a 'wake-up call', says WHO

"This is a wake-up call to recognise that there are ups and downs in clinical development and that we have to be prepared," Soumya Swaminathan told a virtual briefing from Geneva

AstraZeneca, pharma, coronavirus, vaccine

premium

The drugmaker suspended late-stage trials on its potential vaccine this week after a participant in Britain was reported to be suffering from symptoms associated with a rare spinal inflammatory disorder

Michael Shields and John Miller | Reuters Geneva

2 min read Last Updated : Sep 10 2020 | 9:50 PM IST

AstraZeneca's pause of an experimental vaccine for the coronavirus after the illness of a participant is a "wake-up call" but should not discourage researchers, the World Health Organization's (WHO) chief scientist said on Thursday.

"This is a wake-up call to recognise that there are ups and downs in clinical development and that we have to be prepared," Soumya Swaminathan told a virtual briefing from Geneva.

"We do not have to be discouraged. These things happen." Governments are desperate for a vaccine to help end the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused more than 900,000 deaths and global economic turmoil, and the

Topics : AstraZeneca World Health Organisation Coronavirus Vaccine