A volunteer in Brazil’s clinical trials of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca AZN.L and Oxford University has died, Brazilian health authority Anvisa said on Wednesday.
However, the testing of AstraZeneca-Oxford’s coronavirus vaccine would continue.
The regulator said that testing of the vaccine would continue after the volunteer’s death. It provided no further details, citing medical confidentiality of those involved in trials.
The volunteer who died was a Brazilian, Federal University of Sao Paulo said.
After the reports of a COVID-19 vaccine volunteer dying started doing the rounds, AstraZeneca shares turned negative and went down 1.7%.
The Oxford University has said following an assessment of the death of a COVID-19 vaccine trial volunteer in Brazil, it came to a conclusion that there have been no concerns about the clinical trial.
“All significant medical incidents, whether participants are in the control group or the COVID-19 vaccine group, are independently reviewed. Following careful assessment of this case in Brazil, there have been no concerns about safety of the clinical trial and the independent review in addition the Brazilian regulator have recommended that the trial should continue,” Oxford University told CNN in an emailed statement.
Meanwhile, a person familiar with the matter has said that the volunteer, who died during the clinical trials of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, had not received the vaccine shot.
Brazil has recorded the second highest coronavirus related death globally, with more than 154,000 killed by the infection, following only the United States. It is the third worst outbreak in terms of cases, with more than 5.2 million infected, after the United States and India.
(With Inputs From Reuters)