The state of Michigan is on the receiving end of billions in COVID relief, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is now using about $5.5 million of those federal dollars to incentivize getting the vaccine.

Results from the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trial show that the vaccine may actually help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in addition to effectively preventing infection. Recent findings from the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine trial imply that the vaccine might be effective at reducing coronavirus transmission. Read: Study finds COVID-19 vaccine may reduce virus transmissionAdResearchers in the Oxford-AstraZeneca study took swabs from volunteers weekly during the trials to see if the volunteers were able to spread the virus. This information is reassuring, particularly to Britain and other countries that have prioritized administering first doses of the vaccine by pushing second doses until later. More: UK says new study vindicates delaying 2nd virus vaccine shotAdBritain became the first country to authorize AstraZeneca’s inexpensive, easy-to-handle COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 30.

Henry Ford Health System is partnering with Janssen Pharmaceuticals to carry out the third phase of a COVID-19 vaccine trial. The Metro Detroit health system is one of three sites in Michigan, and one of many around the world, that will test the “safety and efficacy” of a single dose of Janssen’s potential COVID-19 vaccine, also known as JNJ-78436735 or Ad26.COV2.S, officials said. The clinical study, also called the “ENSEMBLE trial," is recruiting individuals who are not immunocompromised to receive either a single dose of the investigational vaccine or a placebo. Participating health systems in the U.S. and around the world are expected to recruit about 60,000 adults to carry out the third phase of the COVID vaccine trial. Related NewsAstraZeneca to deliver vaccine trial data by year’s endFeds issue coverage plan for COVID-19 vaccine and treatmentsProtests in Brazil support president in anti-vaccine stanceNearly 2.4 million Michigan residents have received flu vaccine this season

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – A late-stage study of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been paused while the company investigates whether a study participant’s “unexplained illness” is related to the shot. The pause is at least the second such hold to occur among several vaccines that have reached large-scale final tests in the U.S. The company declined to reveal any more details about the illness, citing the participant’s privacy. Final-stage testing of a vaccine made by AstraZeneca and Oxford University remains on hold in the U.S. as officials examine whether an illness in its trial poses a safety risk. Johnson & Johnson was aiming to enroll 60,000 volunteers to prove if its single-dose approach is safe and protects against the coronavirus.

LONDON – A woman who received an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed severe neurological symptoms that prompted a pause in testing, a spokesman for drugmaker AstraZeneca said Thursday. The study participant in late-stage testing reported symptoms consistent with transverse myelitis, a rare inflammation of the spinal cord, said company spokesman Matthew Kent. The study was previously stopped in July for several days after a participant who got the vaccine developed neurological symptoms; it turned out to be an undiagnosed case of multiple sclerosis that was unrelated to the vaccine. It also is testing the vaccine in thousands of people in Britain, and in smaller studies in Brazil and South Africa. Temporary holds of large medical studies aren’t unusual, and investigating any serious or unexpected reaction is a mandatory part of safety testing.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. Metro Detroit is now the site of four COVID-19 vaccine trials. The latest is being conducted at the University of Michigan and involves a vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Sept. 2, 2020: Michigan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases up to 103,710; Death toll now at 6,509The university said 30,000 volunteers will be needed to test the vaccine. We definitely want to have people participate who reflect the people in the community who are getting COVID and are getting sick with COVID, Kaul said. For more information, or to volunteer for the vaccine trial, click here.

U-Ms academic medical center, Michigan Medicine, is working with AstraZeneca to carry out the third trial phase of a potential vaccine for COVID-19. The University of Michigan is one of multiple U.S. sites testing the investigational vaccine against COVID-19. Officials say the phase three clinical trial is expected to include about 30,000 participants in total over the course of two years. We are proud to advance the University of Michigans outstanding legacy of excellence in vaccine trials with this important clinical trial partnership, said Mark Schlissel, M.D., Ph.D., president of the University of Michigan. For more information, or to volunteer for the vaccine trial, click here.