Japanese Drug Maker To Start Clinical Trial Of Vaccine For Children Under 5
A vaccine maker in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, says it will launch this month a clinical trial of its coronavirus vaccine for children under five.
KM Biologics said at a news conference on Wednesday that the vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, the same type as influenza shots.
The company says the clinical study involves 600 people from six months old to under 18. It aims to confirm the vaccine's efficacy and safety as well as how many doses recipients should be given.
The company plans to seek the health ministry's approval for the vaccine this year to be used for children six months old or above.
Currently in Japan, people should be at least five years old to be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.
The company is also holding a clinical trial of the vaccine involving people aged 18 or older. It says interim data show that the level of antibodies rose sufficiently among those aged 40 or younger. The trial will advance to the final phase soon.
The company's top executive, Nagasato Toshiaki, said there is no vaccine that can be administered to children under five, so he hopes to make the vaccine for this age group available as soon as possible.