Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine trial paused due to 'unexplained illness'
Johnson & Johnson on Monday night announced that it has paused its COVID-19 vaccine trial due to one of the volunteers coming down with an "unexplained illness."
In a statement, Johnson & Johnson said that under its guidelines, the "participant's illness is being reviewed and evaluated" by the study's independent data safety monitoring board (DSMB), as well as internal clinical and safety physicians. The company also said that "adverse events — illnesses, accidents, etc. — even those that are serious, are an expected part of any clinical study, especially large studies."
Johnson & Johnson's vaccine arm, Janssen, began the Phase 3 clinical trial in September. There are 60,000 participants, and each person is receiving one dose of the vaccine. Advanced clinical trials are conducted so researchers can determine whether participants are experiencing side effects, and Johnson & Johnson said it is not revealing what illness the volunteer has due to privacy reasons.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told CNN that the pause is "completely expected" due to how large the study is, and this is "just a reminder how ridiculous it is to try and meet a political timeline of having a vaccine before Nov. 3." Jha added that it is important for the vaccine to be "safe and we've got to let the process play out and it's going to take a while. To me, it's reassuring that companies are acting responsibly and pausing when they need to."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
5 fact-checked cartoons about the VP debate
Cartoons Artists take on civil disagreements, admissions, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Japanese villages where time stood still
The Week Recommends Up to 200 villagers cooperate to thatch a roof in a single day, preserving this beautiful tradition
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: October 6, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strike
Speed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Reddit IPO values social media site at $6.4 billion
Speed Read The company makes its public debut on the New York Stock Exchange
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Housing costs: the root of US economic malaise?
speed read Many voters are troubled by the housing affordability crisis
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published