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