AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine to be Tested on Children of Age Group 6 to 17 Years for the First Time
The University of Oxford has initiated the process the COVID-19 vaccine it developed in collaboration with drug maker AstraZeneca on children as well. It marks the first the vaccine against coronavirus will be used on children. The trial is being undertaken to study the vaccine's impact and efficacy on people between age the of 6 to 17.
London, February 13: The University of Oxford has initiated the process the COVID-19 vaccine it developed in collaboration with drug maker AstraZeneca on children as well. It marks the first the vaccine against coronavirus will be used on children. The trial is being undertaken to study the vaccine's impact and efficacy on people between age the of 6 to 17.As per reports, the test will be conducted on around 300 children. It is expected to start by the end of this month.
“While most children are relatively unaffected by coronavirus and are unlikely to become unwell with the infection, it is important to establish the safety and immune response to the vaccine in children and young people as some children may benefit from vaccination," Andrew Pollard, the chief investigator on the vaccine trial told the Guardian. South Africa Suspends Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine Drive After Clinical Trial.
Meanwhile, South Africa earlier this month halted suspended plans to inoculate its front-line health care workers with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after a small clinical trial suggested that it isn't effective in preventing mild to moderate illness from the variant dominant in the country. Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine Jab Effective Against UK New COVID-19 Variant, Finds Study.
South Korea also has cautioned its elderly population to refrain from getting the vaccine's shot owing to lack reports or data to show its effectiveness in the older people. Meanwhile, in several countries including India and United Kingdom, the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is being used intensively in the vaccination programme against coronavirus.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 13, 2021 07:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).