China has approved early-stage human tests for
two experimental coronavirus vaccines as it
battles to contain imported cases and prevent a
second wave of COVID-19.
The experimental vaccines are being developed
by a Beijing-based unit of Sinovac Biotech and
by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products,
an affiliate of state-owned China National
Pharmaceutical Group, state news agency
Xinhua reported on Tuesday.Al Jazeera's Sarah Clarke, reporting from Hong
Kong, said China's National Health Commission
also confirmed the trials will go ahead.
In March, Beijing
gave the green light
to another clinical
trial for a
coronavirus vaccine
candidate developed
by the military-
backed Academy of
Military Medical Sciences and biotech firm
CanSino Bio, shortly after US drug developer
Moderna said it had begun human tests for
their vaccine with the US National Institutes of
Health.
"We can confirm now that three particular
vaccines are being tested in China, and the
National Health Commission has said it will
have to clear a number of conditions before
they can enable mass production of the
vaccines globally," said Clarke.
As of Tuesday, China reported 82,249
coronavirus cases and 3,341 deaths. There were
no fatalities over the past 24 hours.
'Very bold decision'
Scientists around the world are racing against
time to develop a vaccine for coronavirus,
which has killed more than 119,000 people and
infected more than 1.9 million globally.
The first approved vaccine in China has started
its second phase of the trial, Clarke reported.
"A total of 500 people signed up to volunteer
for that in the first phase, which looked at the
safety of this vaccine, and the second phase has
now introduced a placebo control group," she
said.
But even as hope for a cure is raised, John
Nicholls, clinical professor of Pathology at the
University of Hong Kong, said: "Vaccines can't
be rushed".
His team was one of the first outside mainland
China to reproduce the virus in a laboratory for
research.
"Normally with vaccines you start off with
small animals and then move to primates and
then to the humans," Nicholls told Al Jazeera.
"It seems that with this one they have gone
straight to the humans, which is a very bold
decision.
"Most of the mortality in this disease is in the
elderly, so the best thing would be to actually
see what the anti-body response is in the
elderly rather than the young," he added.
Meanwhile, Russia
has become China's
largest source of
imported cases, with
a total of 409
infections
originating in the
northern neighbour.
Of the 89 new cases
reported in mainland China on Monday, 79
were imported coronavirus cases in China's
northeastern border province of Heilongjiang,
all Chinese citizens travelling home from
Russia, according to state media.
At a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on
Monday, China's coronavirus taskforce decided
to deploy more health resources on its borders.
It said it would build hospitals and establish
isolation points in border regions, and would
also strengthen cooperation with neighbouring
countries.


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/china-approves-coronavirus-vaccines-human-trials-200414083310079.html

Old news, vaccine that they started testing about a month ago

Chick-fil-A