Using this clinical trial, carried out this month, scientists will vaccinate 240 child volunteers aged 6 to 17 to find out whether the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine provides a strong immune response in younger children.
The Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use in adults, but scientists want to know whether the injection in children produces a strong immune response in young people aged 6 to 17. "Although most children are relatively unaffected by the coronavirus and are unlikely to become ill, it is important to establish the safety and immune response to the vaccine in children and young people […] These new trials will expand our understanding of SARS-CoV2 control to younger age groups ", said Andrew Pollard, professor of pediatric infection and immunity and chief investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial, at Daily Mail.
The first vaccinations in this trial will take place as early as February with up to 240 children receiving the vaccine and the rest receiving a meningitis booster. "The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound negative impact on the education, social development and emotional well-being of children and adolescents, beyond illness and rare serious disease presentations. It is therefore important to collect data on the safety and immune response to our coronavirus vaccine in these age groups, so that they can potentially benefit from inclusion in vaccination programs in the near future."said Rinn Song, pediatrician and clinician scientist at the Oxford Vaccine Group.
Children are less likely to contract the virus and their role in transmitting the disease is unclear. However, although this is extremely rare, Covid-19 can cause death and serious illness in children.
Several tests are underway to develop safe and effective vaccines in children. British influenza specialist Professor Jonathan Van-Tam recently explained that it is entirely possible that Covid-19 vaccines will be available for children by the end of the year.