Children up to the age of 6 will be added to the COVID-19 vaccine study at Oxford University, making the first examination of how children and young adults respond to fires aimed at limiting the spread of the deadly insect.
About 300 children between the ages of 6 and 17 will be included in the AstraZeneca vaccine study, Reuters reported.
Previous studies have shown that the vaccine is safe, but this study, which is funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research, will show whether the shot produces a good immune response in children. Up to 240 children will receive the jab, the BBC reported, while the others receive a control blow.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 267 children have died since the beginning of the pandemic – accounting for less than 1% of all deaths.
The two-dose vaccine is intended for use worldwide because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some of the other photos.
AstraZeneca is also working with Oxford to adapt its vaccine for new disease strains as the virus moves. One study suggested the company’s vaccine did not protect against the South African strain of the coronavirus.