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