Oxford University Testing Vaccine In Children

The University of Oxford plans to test its COVID-19 vaccine in children for the first time. The trial announced Saturday seeks to recruit 300 volunteers between the ages of 6 and 17, with up to 240 receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and the remainder a control meningitis vaccine. Andrew Pollard, chief researcher on the Oxford vaccine trial, says that while most children don’t get severely ill from COVID-19, the testing should be done as some children may benefit from vaccination. Regulators in more than 50 countries have authorized use of the Oxford vaccine, which is being produced and distributed by AstraZeneca, for use in people over the age of 18.