Oxford University begins vaccine trials in children

Elaf from London: The University of Oxford and partner sites have announced a one-of-a-kind trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a vaccine in children between the ages of 6 and 17.

As part of the trial, children under the age of six will receive the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine as part of a new clinical trial to test its efficacy in children.

The researchers will use 300 volunteers to assess whether the coronavirus vaccine will produce a robust immune response in children between the ages of 6 and 17.

The test will begin this weekend at Oxford University and its partner locations in London, Southampton and Bristol.
The Oxford vaccine is one of three types approved for use in adults in the UK, along with those from Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna.

Professor Andrew Pollard, Principal Investigator of the Oxford Vaccine Trial, said: “While most children are relatively unaffected by coronavirus and are unlikely to become infected, it is important to demonstrate safety and immune response to the vaccine in children and young adults. how some children may benefit from vaccination. “
He added: “These new trials will broaden our understanding of SARS-CoV2 control to younger age groups.”

Time interval
Dr Grace Lee, a clinical researcher at the Oxford Vaccine Group, told Sky News: “We will give them doses of one to three months, and we hope to see the time interval that gives the best immune response.”

He told me that they expect to do five blood tests over a 12-month period to see how long the immune response takes. Up to 240 children will receive the vaccine, while the rest will receive the meningitis vaccine.

For his part, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van Tam previously said that many trials are underway to develop safe and effective vaccines for children.

He added: “It is very possible that we will have some licensed childhood vaccines for COVID-19 by the end of the year.”
The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health says there is evidence that COVID-19 can cause death and serious illness in children, but this is rare.

She said: “In children, the evidence is now clear that COVID-19 is associated with a much lower burden of disease and mortality compared to the elderly. There is also some evidence that children may be less susceptible to infection. The role of children in transmission, once they are infected, is changing. “It is obvious, although there is no clear evidence that they are more contagious than adults.”

Other experiences
At a time when this trial will be the first of its kind to evaluate the effectiveness of the Oxford vaccine in young children, the University of Oxford said other trials have begun, but are measuring effectiveness in those between the ages of 16 and 17 years.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound negative impact on the education, social development and emotional well-being of children and adolescents, in addition to rare and serious diseases and illnesses,” said Rin Song, pediatrician, physician and scientist from the Oxford Vaccine Group.
He added: “It is therefore important to collect data on the safety and immune response to the coronavirus vaccine in these age groups, so that they can benefit from their inclusion in vaccination programs in the near future.”
So far, more than 14 million people have received their first COVID-19 vaccine, which means the government is close to reaching its goal of 15 million by Monday.