Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine to be tested on children as young as six

The efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in children is set to be tested in a new clinical trial.

Researchers will use 300 volunteers to assess whether the jab — known as the the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine — will produce a strong immune response in children aged between six and 17.

The Oxford jab is one of three to have been approved for use in adults in the UK, along with those from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.

Andrew Pollard, professor of paediatric infection and immunity, and chief investigator on the Oxford vaccine trial, said: “While most children are relatively unaffected by coronavirus and are unlikely to become unwell with the infection, it is important to establish the safety and immune response to the vaccine in children and young people as some children may benefit from vaccination.

“These new trials will extend our understanding of control of Sars-CoV2 to younger age groups.”

The first vaccinations under the trial will take place this month, with up to 240 children receiving the vaccine and the others receiving a control meningitis jab.