MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th November, 2020) Clinical trials of Russian coronavirus vaccine EpiVacCorona, developed by the Vector State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, might begin on young people aged from 14-17 in December, Rinat Maksyutov, the center's head, said on Sunday.
"We have no doubts about the vaccine's safety for minors, but the law requires that we pass certain clinical trials in order to expand the vaccine's use onto children," Maksyutov said at the Science Bar Hopping virtual festival, adding that the center was "ready to begin clinical trials on teens aged from 14-17 this December if such a decision is made, because this age category is coronavirus-sensitive."
As explained by the official, there must be a series of six consecutive studies on different age groups in descending order from the 14-17 group down to infants, whereas every next trial is conditional upon the success of the previous one.
EpiVacCorona is an antigens-based vaccine that was registered by the Russian government on October 13 and is underway with phase 3 clinical trials. Participants include a group of 150 volunteers aged above 60.
