November 18, 2005

China to finish tests on bird flu vaccine mid-December
 

China was expected to complete its assessment of a new and "highly effective" bird flu vaccine for poultry by mid-December, the official People's Daily said Friday.

The government has been expediting the development of the vaccine, and China's Ministry of Agriculture has been preparing for its production, said the newspaper, which was the communist party's mouthpiece.

"If everything goes smoothly, China is expected to finish by mid-December" its review of the vaccine, the report said.

"Once the vaccine passes the review, it will be put to use immediately," it said.

China has so far reported 13 outbreaks of bird flu in poultry nationwide since Oct 19.

The health ministry said Wednesday it had confirmed two human cases of the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu - a 24-year-old woman who died and a nine-year-old boy who recovered. It said the boy's 12-year-old sister, who died, was a suspected case.