(Reuters) – Oxford University has launched a study to assess the safety and immune response of the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with AstraZeneca Plc in children for the first time, it said on Saturday.
The new mid-term study will determine whether the vaccine is effective for people between the ages of 6 and 17, according to a statement sent by e-mail 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 considered a “vaccine for the world” because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals.
AstraZeneca aims to produce 3 billion doses this year and aims to produce over 200 million doses per month by April.
Report by Derek Francis in Bengaluru, edited by Rosalba O’Brien