Vaccine trials halted over safety fears

LONDON－Clinical trials of one of the most advanced experimental COVID-19 vaccines－developed by drug company AstraZeneca and Oxford University－were "paused "on Tuesday after a volunteer developed an unexplained illness.

With billions of people around the world still suffering from the fallout of the pandemic and the global death toll nearing 900,000, a worldwide race for a vaccine is under way. Nine companies are in late-stage Phase III trials.

Worldwide infections to date stand at more than 27 million, and more than 890,000 people have died from the disease.