Beijing: First coronavirus vaccine could be tested on humans from April

Beijing: First coronavirus vaccine could be tested on humans from April
2:06 p.m .: According to the Chinese authorities, a first vaccine against the novel corona virus should be tested in humans from the end of April. Chinese research minister Xu Nanping said at a press conference in Beijing on Friday that several research teams were using different techniques to develop a vaccine. "The first is expected to be tested in clinical trials in late April."

The vice director of China's National Health Commission, Zeng Yixin, explained the different methods used to develop a vaccine. The Chinese researchers use, among other things, deactivated viruses or use genetic engineering to produce proteins that are supposed to serve as antibodies against the pathogen. Another approach is to modify existing flu vaccines. Some of the substances are currently being tested on animals, said Zeng.

In addition to Chinese scientists, research institutions and companies in other countries, such as the Institute of Virology at Philipps University in Marburg, Hesse, are also working on a vaccine. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that it would take at least a year for a large-scale vaccine against the novel coronavirus to be available.