Children as young as 6 will be added to the study of the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine, making it the first time to examine how children and young adults respond to vaccines designed to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
About 300 children aged 6 to 17 will be included in the AstraZeneca vaccine study, Reuters reported.
Previous tests have shown the vaccine to be safe, but this test, funded by Britain’s National Institute for Health Research, will show whether the injection produces a good immune response in children. Up to 240 children will receive the jab, the BBC said, while the rest will have a chance at control.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 267 children had died since the start of the pandemic – accounting for less than 1 percent of total deaths.
The two-dose vaccine is designed for use worldwide because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some of the other vaccines.
AstraZeneca is also working with Oxford to adapt its vaccine to new strains of disease as the virus mutates. One study suggested that the company’s vaccine does not protect against the South African strain of coronavirus.