China has granted emergency use approval for Sinovac Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine in children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years, stated its chairman Yin Weidong.

Yin added that the decision on when to start offering the Sinovac vaccine to younger age groups lies with the health authorities formulating Chinas vaccination strategies. Preliminary results from Phase I and II clinical trials noted that the vaccine evoked immune response in participants aged 3 to 17 years, and most of the adverse reactions were mild.

Sinovac has also done a Phase II clinical trial where a third booster dose was given to the participants after completing two regular shots. There was a 10 times increase in antibody levels compared to previous levels in a week, and the increase was 20 times in a span of about half a month, reported Yin… (Reuters, June 5, 2021)