One participant in a phase 3 clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by a multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca in Brazil and the University of Oxford in the UK has died.
Brazil's Ministry of Health's National Sanitation Bureau (Anvisa) said in a statement released on the 21st that the death toll was reported on the 19th.
The National Hygiene and Surveillance Agency did not confirm whether the deceased actually received the AstraZeneca vaccine or whether they received a'placebo' (a fake drug) to verify the effectiveness of the vaccine candidate.
However, Brazilian media reported that the deceased was given a placebo and appears to have died of complications while contracting COVID-19.
The National Hygiene Bureau says the trial will continue on the recommendation of an independent committee.
Brazil's Ministry of Health is interested in securing the AstraZeneca vaccine, and in late July it signed a vaccine purchase contract with AstraZeneca, and a special budget was set up for this.
(Photo = Yonhap News)