NEW YORK (TIP): Drugmakers AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson said  they were resuming late-stage COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine trials in the U.S. after no links were found between the illnesses contracted by trial participants and the vaccine candidates.The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave AstraZeneca the go-ahead after the company had on Sept. 6 paused its clinical trials for AZD1222, the vaccine it is developing jointly with the University of Oxford.A British volunteer had developed a neurological disorder, prompting the trial’s temporary halt while “independent regulators” looked for possible causes. The trial had already resumed in some other countries.

“We should be reassured by the care taken by independent regulators to protect the public and ensure the vaccine is safe before it is approved for use,” said AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot.Pausing on Oct. 12 after a volunteer’s “serious medical event,” Johnson & Johnson has also resumed its vaccine clinical trials following consultation with the FDA.

“There are many possible factors that could have caused the event. Based on the information gathered to date and the input of independent experts, the Company has found no evidence that the vaccine candidate caused the event,” the company said in a statement.