Johnson & Johnson have temporarily put a stop to the COVID-19 vaccine trials after a trial subject contracted an “unexplained illness”, said the company on Tuesday.

The pharmaceutical giant began conducting a trial for a COVID-19 vaccination involving 60,000 patients.

This was put to a pause after one patient developed an unknown reaction. It remains unclear if the patient was given a placebo or not, however the general public was asked to give the patient some privacy.

“We must respect the participant’s privacy. We’re also learning more about this participant’s illness, and it is important to have all the facts before we share additional information” explained Johnson & Johnson in a statement.

Johnson & Johnson are not the only company racing to create a COVID-19 vaccine. AstraZeneca and Oxford University have both paused trials for the second time after reactions were recorded in patients as well.