By Theresa Braine

New York Daily News

Johnson & Johnson has paused its COVID-19 vaccine study because one of its participants was taken ill.

The 60,000-patient clinical trial met the criteria for a “pausing rule,” reported Stat News, meaning the online system that enrolls patients has been closed and the independent committee that monitors patient safety in the clinical trial will be convened.

Johnson & Johnson confirmed that a document obtained by Stat News halting the trial did indicate the study was on hold, saying only that it was due to “an unexplained illness in a study participant,” without providing more detail, the news outlet said.

This is not the first time a vaccine trial for the novel coronavirus has been halted. Last month, one of the three major worldwide coronavirus vaccine trials was paused in Phase 3 after a participant had a suspected adverse reaction.

The trials for that vaccine, being developed by Oxford University and manufactured by AstraZeneca, were resumed a few days later, after a monitoring committee determined that it was safe to resume the trial.