A great deal of uncertainty remains about what happened to the unnamed patient, to the frustration of those avidly following the progress of vaccine testing. AstraZeneca, which is running the global trial of the vaccine it produced with Oxford University, said the trial volunteer recovered from a severe inflammation of the spinal cord and is no longer hospitalized.
AstraZeneca has not confirmed that the
patient was afflicted with transverse myelitis, but Nath and another
neurologist said they understood this to be the case. Transverse
myelitis produces a set of symptoms involving inflammation along the
spinal cord that can cause pain, muscle weakness and paralysis.
Britain's regulatory body, the Medicines and Healthcare Products
Regulatory Agency, reviewed the case and has allowed the trial to resume
in the United Kingdom.
Given the large number of phase 3 trials across the world and the multiple vaccines, it would have been unbelievable if no serious adverse effects were reported anywhere.
ReplyDeletePlus this is one report. Unless more people start developing this adverse effect, then it's just as plausible to say it was due to the person, not the vaccine.
Data will reveal all. We will find out which ones are safe and efficacious, and which ones are not.
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