Oxford pauses dosing in pediatric trial of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine -WSJ

The University of Oxford has paused dosing children and teenagers in a small UK study of the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with AstraZeneca, pending more information about rare blood-clotting issues in adults who have received it, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. The European Medicines Agency is currently reviewing reports of an extremely rare brain blood clot known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) after the AstraZeneca shots, and is expected to announce its findings on Wednesday or Thursday.

The University of Oxford has paused dosing children and teenagers in a small UK study of the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with AstraZeneca, pending more information about rare blood-clotting issues in adults who have received it, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The European Medicines Agency is currently reviewing reports of an extremely rare brain blood clot known as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) after the AstraZeneca shots, and is expected to announce its findings on Wednesday or Thursday. A senior official at Europe's medicines regulator has said there is a clear "association" COVID-19 vaccine and CVST, though the direct cause of the clots is still unknown.

Oxford is waiting for more information from the UK's drugs watchdog, before giving any further vaccinations to children or teenagers in the pediatric trial, an Oxford spokesman told the Journal. (https://on.wsj.com/3wADVfR) AstraZeneca and Oxford University did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.