AstraZeneca vaccine trial would have stopped if deceased volunteer part of active arm - source

Reuters
FILE PHOTO: A test tube labelled with the Vaccine is seen in front of AstraZeneca logo in this illustration taken

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - The Brazilian trial of the COVID-19 vaccine candidate by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca would have been suspended if the volunteer who died had been part of the active arm, a source familiar with the situation said on Wednesday.

The comment would suggest the volunteer was part of the comparative control group, which is given a meningitis jab.

Participants and investigators are not told which group they are in.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger in Frankfurt; Writing by Josephine Mason in London; editing by Jonathan Oatis)