Trials of the Chinese vaccine CoronaVac, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal, have found it is safe and provokes a strong antibody response among children and adolescents aged 3-17. The randomised controlled trial covered 550 young people. More than 96% of children and adolescents who received two doses of the vaccine, manufactured by Sinovac, developed antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Most adverse reactions were mild or moderate, with pain at the injection site the most commonly reported symptom. The authors conducted a randomised, double-blind, controlled phase 1/2 clinical trial between October and December 2020. The vaccine or a control was given by intramuscular injection in two doses (1.5 or 3 micrograms). In phase 1, 100% of participants in both the 1.5-microgram and 3-microgram groups generated antibodies. Stronger responses were detected among the 3-microgram group. In phase 2, 97% of participants in the 1.5-microgram group produced antibodies, compared with 100% in the 3-microgram group. Qiang Gao, of Sinovac Life Sciences Co, Ltd, was quoted as saying: “Our finding that CoronaVac was well tolerated and induced strong immune responses is very encouraging, and suggests that further studies in other regions, involving larger, multi-ethnic populations, could provide valuable data to inform immunisation strategies involving children and adolescents.”
