28-year-old Volunteer in AstraZeneca’s Coronavirus Vaccine Trial Dies

A participant in AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine trial in Brazil has died, marking the first death in a COVID-19 vaccine trial.

The 28-year-old man from Rio de Janeiro died of complications from COVID-19, Brazil’s O Globo newspaper and CNN Brasilreported Wednesday.

Both outlets reported that he had volunteered to take part in AstraZeneca’s clinical trials for its vaccine, which is being developed with the Oxford Vaccine Group.

According to O Globo, the man was in the trial’s control group and was given a placebo instead of the experimental vaccine. Anvisa, Brazil’s health body, said it was told of the death on Monday, CNN Brasil reported. The agency declined to identify the participant. Read More >