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Children as young as 6 will be added to the University of Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine study, making it the first time to examine how children and young adults respond to shots aimed at curb the spread of the deadly virus.
About 300 children aged 6 to 17 will be included in the AstraZeneca vaccine study, Reuters reported.
Previous trials have shown the vaccine to be safe, but this trial, funded by the British National Institute for Health Research, will show whether the vaccine produces a good immune response in children. No less than 240 children will receive the blow, the BBC reported, while the rest will receive a control shot.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 267 children have died since the start of the pandemic – representing less than 1% of the total number of deaths.
The two-dose vaccine is expected to be used 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. A study has suggested that the company’s vaccine does not protect against the South African strain of the coronavirus.
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