Coronavirus: early signs Sinovac’s jab is safe and effective in children
- Chinese company says initial studies indicate that CoronaVac induced antibodies in more than 96 per cent of trial participants
- Immune responses among children and teenagers were higher than adults assessed in previous studies, researchers say
Sinovac is in the process of applying for an ethical review and approval for late-stage human trials for the younger population, a company spokesman said.
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Inside a plant in China producing the WHO-approved Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine
In a paper published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal on Monday, the researchers said more than 96 per cent of the 552 trial participants aged 3-17 years old developed antibodies against the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 after two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine.
No significant differences in immune response were detected among the various age groups, but higher levels of neutralising antibodies – an indicator of stronger immune response – was detected in participants injected with 3μg shots, the approved adult dosage, than with 1.5μg.
“CoronaVac was well tolerated and safe, and induced humoral responses in children and adolescents aged 3-17 years ... The results support the use of 3μg dose with a two-immunisation schedule for further studies in children and adolescents,” they said.
Researchers also found the immune responses among children and teenagers were higher than adults assessed in previous studies.