Quixplained: Covid-19 Vaccine Development Stages and History So Far

09/16/2020 Health, India, World

By: Desk Explained | New Delhi |

Updated: September 16, 2020 7:37:30 am

The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine was among the leading global candidates.

AstraZeneca, which is creating a vaccine for the new coronavirus in partnership with the University of Oxford, halted its global vaccine trial on September 6 after a participant in the UK showed signs of serious illness. Several news reports described it as a neurological disorder that affects the spinal cord.

Days later, the company resumed human testing of the candidate vaccine in the UK. She said she would work with health authorities “around the world” and “receive guidance” on when other clinical trials can resume.

Uncertainty remains in India, where the candidate vaccine is undergoing phase 2 and phase 3 trials simultaneously.

The Serum Institute of India (SII), which is conducting the trials, had to pause testing after a notice from India’s top drug regulator about the global problem. So far, around 100 participants have received the vaccine in India.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine was among the leading global candidates.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) said the hiatus was not a setback, but a “wake-up call”, as vaccine development was not always a “straight and fast path”.

Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker: AstraZeneca’s development process has a snag after a participant shows signs of serious illness. What does this mean?
The incident demonstrates the importance of rigorously following all stages of the clinical trial. What are these stages?
Phase I is tested on a small group of healthy adult volunteers, perhaps a dozen or two, for safety.
Phase II is generally performed in a few hundred healthy adult participants.
Phase III is tested on thousands of participants.
Participants are usually followed for several months to check their answers.
The history of the coronavirus vaccine so far.
The pioneers in the Covid-19 vaccine.