China’s Sinovac Biotech plans to start a clinical trial of its experimental vaccine against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) with children and adolescents later this month.
According to a registration record published on Wednesday, 552 healthy participants aged between three and 17 will take two doses of US-listed Sinovac’s CoronaVac or a placebo in a combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 trial estimated to begin on September 28 in the northern Chinese province of Hebei.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that data so far suggests the virus generally causes milder disease in children compared with adults, but some cases of children requiring intensive care have been also reported.
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Several hundred children were admitted to US hospitals with a rare but severe inflammatory syndrome, which could include symptoms such as fever, rashes and swollen glands, associated with the coronavirus disease.
The trial has already approved by the Chinese regulator, a Sinovac spokesperson said, according to Reuters. The Chinese vaccine maker’s shot is already in the final stage of study with adults.
CoronaVac, being tested in final-stage large-scale trials in Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey, has already been given to about 90% of the company’s employees and their families.
{{/usCountry}}CoronaVac, being tested in final-stage large-scale trials in Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey, has already been given to about 90% of the company’s employees and their families.
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China has inoculated at least tens of thousands of its citizens rolling out experimental coronavirus vaccines despite expert concerns over the safety of drugs that have not completed standard testing.
Sinovac said earlier this month CoronaVac appeared to be safe and able to induce antibodies for older people, while the vaccine-generated antibody levels were slightly lower than seen in younger adults, citing preliminary results from an early to mid-stage trial.
CanSino Biologics and China National Biotec Group have also kicked off testing in countries including Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Peru, Chile and Morocco.
According to Johns Hopkins University’s Covid-19 data, there are more than 30 million coronavirus disease cases worldwide and 944,887 people have succumbed to the viral disease.
(With agency inputs)