Human trials in sight for SARS vaccine

cctv.com 12-08-2003 09:46

The world's first clinical trials of a vaccine against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome are about to start. Experts attending an annual conference on microbiology in Southern China have said a government go-ahead is all that's needed to begin human tests -for what they believe --could conquer the virus.

Researchers around the world are working on SARS vaccines. And experts in China say pre-clinical tests of some of their efforts on monkeys have shown no serious side-effects and they are moving towards the human trial phase.

Officials from the State Food and Drug Administration said there were over 50 vaccines waiting for authorization for clinical trials and they had decided to speed up the testing process. Sources say approval is expected to come in February or March. Unlike the HIV virus, SARS is considered comparatively stable, which helps in efforts to develop a vaccine.

China has already produced about 1,400 shots of the SARS vaccines and another 20,000 will be packaged and inspected by quality control experts. WHO officials have lauded China's efforts to find a vaccine, saying research should continue apace.

Editor:Su  Source:CCTV.com