Covid-19 vaccine trial paused after side effect reported in UK patient

Pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has announced a pause to its trials of a potential Covid-19 vaccine owing to an adverse reaction reportedly from a trial subject in the UK (Lynne Cameron/PA)

Trials of a Covid-19 vaccine under development by AstraZeneca and Oxford University have been put on hold owing to a reported side effect in a patient in the UK.

AstraZeneca issued a statement on Tuesday night saying the late-stage studies of the vaccine had been paused while the company investigates whether the patient’s reported side effect is connected with the vaccine.