South Africa vaccinates children in test of China’s Sinovac jab

Global study to enroll 2,000 participants in South Africa and 12,000 others in Kenya, Philippines, Chile and Malaysia.

South Africa has started vaccinating children and adolescents as part of the global phase three clinical trials of China’s Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine for people aged between six months and 17 years old. The global study will enroll 2,000 participants in South Africa and 12,000 others will be taking part in Kenya, the Philippines, Chile and Malaysia. The first children in South Africa were inoculated on Friday at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in the capital, Pretoria, to kick off the trials and others will get shots at six different sites across the country, Sinovac said in a statement.