Oxford University announced on Saturday that it plans to test the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with AstraZeneca on children for the first time.
Researchers said they wanted to test the safety and immune response of vision in young people.
The new medium test, which will assess whether the vaccine is effective for people aged 6 to 17, will seek 300 volunteers. Up to 240 COVID-19 vaccines and the rest are expected to control meningitis inoculation. The first jabs are expected this month, the university said in a statement.
“It is important to establish the safe and protective response to the vaccine in children and young people as some children may benefit from vaccination,” said Andrew Pollard, lead researcher on the Oxford vaccine trial.
COVID-19 can also cause death or serious illness in children, but the Royal British College of Pediatrics and Child Health says this is rare.
Vaccines to prevent pandemic
Regulators in more than 50 countries have approved the widespread use of the Oxford vaccine – which is produced and distributed by AstraZeneca Plc – for people over 18 years of age. The two-dose vaccine is cheaper and easier to distribute than some competitors.
AstraZeneca said it wants to deliver 3 billion doses this year and aims to deliver more than 200 million doses every month by April.
Last month, the pharmaceutical giant was introduced in a series with the European Union over production delays.
Last October, US drugmaker Pfizer began testing its image in children as young as 12 while Moderna began testing children in December.
mvb / mm (Reuters, AP, dpa)