Don't jump to conclusions about the Oxford vaccine trial suspension | Charlotte Summers

This review process is evidence of rigorous safety measures. As the fight against coronavirus continues, speculation is the last thing anyone needs

The Oxford trial, one of the most advanced of the major global programmes to find a vaccine for Sars-CoV-2, has been paused, resulting in much speculation about why, and what this might mean for our efforts to control the pandemic. Is this a cause for concern? Unsettling as some of the headlines may seem, in my opinion we should not be unduly worried.

Vaccines are some of the most rigorously scrutinised of all healthcare products. In the UK, clinical trials of vaccines (and medicines) are overseen by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA has strict processes governing the conduct of clinical trials, which are designed to ensure that the vaccines we develop are effective and safe.