WHO on Johnson&Johnson Halting COVID Vaccine Trial: Safety Paramount

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The World Health Organization believes that safety in research is crucial and is pleased to see developers acting by the rules, the WHO spokesperson said regarding Johnson&Johnson suspending its vaccine trials.

The company paused the trials earlier this week due to unexplained illness of one of the participants.

"Safety is the primary focus for vaccine clinical trials. When a potentially unexplained illness occurs in a trial participant, which may or may not be related to the vaccine being evaluated, it is rigorous, routine practice to investigate," the spokesperson said.

WHO pointed out that suspensions were not unusual during vaccine clinical trials.

"We are pleased to see vaccine developers ensuring the scientific integrity of the trials and abiding by the standard guidelines and rules for the development of vaccines," the spokesperson said.

Earlier, Johnson & Johnson said that it was pausing its coronavirus vaccine clinical trials, as one of the patients was exhibiting "unexplained" symptoms.

The company’s phase 3 coronavirus vaccine trials started last month and involve 60,000 volunteers in various countries, including the US, Brazil and Mexico.