(Reuters) – The University of Oxford has launched a study to assess the safety and immune response of the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with AstraZeneca Plc in children for the first time, it said on Saturday.
The new intermediate test will determine whether the vaccine is effective for people aged 6 to 17, according to a statement sent by email from the university.
About 300 volunteers will be enrolled and the first vaccines are expected this month, said Oxford.
The two-dose Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine has been hailed as a ‘vaccine for the world’ because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals.
AstraZeneca has a goal of producing 3 billion doses this year and more than 200 million doses per month until April.
Reporting by Derek Francis in Bengaluru, edited by Rosalba O’Brien