Newest Oxford-AstraZeneca trial to see how children are affected

It is thought that the new trial will take place later this month, with around 300 volunteers taking part in the testing.

80% of the volunteers will receive the COVID-19 jab, one of the two main vaccines being rolled out in the UK alongside the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The remaining volunteers will receive a control meningitis injection.

Although scientists have maintained that children are largely unaffected by coronavirus, the trial will assess if the vaccine can provide those aged from six to 17 with strong immunity to the virus.

However, there are no plans, as of yet, to use the Oxford-Astrazeneca injection to vaccinate all UK children.

The Oxford-Astrazeneca jab has only been authorised for those aged 18 and over in the UK, and the Pfizer-BioNTech injection has been authorised to be used for those in the UK, aged over 16.

Children catching COVID-19 and suffering seriously from the virus is not impossible, but it is rare, experts claim. It is thought that the higher risk that children play is the role of transmission, but there is no current evidence to suggest that they are any more infectious than their adult counterparts.