U.S. health secretary says AstraZeneca trial in United States remains on hold: CNBC

FILE PHOTO: A test tube labelled with the Vaccine is seen in front of AstraZeneca logo in this illustration taken, September 9, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Wednesday that the U.S. trial of AstraZeneca PLC's COVID-19 vaccine remains on hold while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigates a patient illness that shut down the global trial.

Azar said that the FDA's investigation, which has continued even after the trial has resumed outside of the United States, shows that the agency takes safety of the vaccine seriously.

(Reporting by Caroline Humer; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)