TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Sinovac says its COVID-19 vaccine is safe in children ages 3-17, based on preliminary data, and it has submitted the data to Chinese drug regulators. More than 70 million shots of Sinovac’s vaccine have been given worldwide. China has approved its use in adults but it has not yet been used in children. Sinovac’s medical director told a news conference that early and mid-stage clinical trials with over 550 subjects showed the vaccine would induce an immune response. Children are far less likely to be seriously ill with COVID-19, but they are still at risk. Vaccination campaigns have focused on adults, but children will need to be immunized to end the pandemic.
Photo: A health worker prepares a dose of the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for people living in a popular market area where a new cluster of infections was found in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, March 17, 2021.(AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
