China vaccine may be available this year-end: Report

front-running Covid-19 vaccine candidate being developed in China is expected to be available as soon as the end of this year, according to a report published in the official Wechat account of the state-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

The vaccine, jointly developed by the Beijing Institute of Biological Products and China National Biotec Group, has completed phase II testing and may be ready for the market at the end of this year or early next year, said the report. The production line will be fully disinfected and closed in preparation for output to start on Saturday, and will have a full manufacturing capacity of 100 million to 120 million vaccines each year.

WUHAN IS FINISHING MISSION TO TEST 11MN Wuhan is set to complete the testing of its entire population of 11 million as China pours massive resources into avoiding a resurgence of Covid-19 infections.

Hitting the goal at a time when the US and other countries are struggling to implement adequate testing has required mobilizing thousands in the city where the pathogen was first identified.

All residents and those listed in the identity documents of locals have been contacted for an assessment and authorities have reported just one new case since the two-week program kicked off on May 13.

China’s testing efforts are part of a push at all levels of government to shift the public narrative to the future amid accusations the country delayed its response to the virus that has infected almost 6 million and claimed over 360,000 lives globally.

Wuhan, which had only five active cases on Friday, used a number of methods to assess everyone.