China's Flu Vaccine Production Begins

Chinese biotech company Hualan has set up China's first A/H1N1 flu seed bank in central China's Henan Province.

This marks the start of production for the flu vaccine.

Hualan says it expects the first batch of the vaccine to be ready in around two weeks. But it will take more time for the vaccines to be tested for human injection.

Pan Ruowen is deputy general manager of the company.

"The vaccines will be produced for 13 clinical trials lasting for 14 days. The process cannot be shortened, and all procedures must follow strict regulations to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines."

The company says it has used two of the four seed viruses it received from the World Health Organization to set up the seed bank. It is duplicating the other two for future use.

Other pharmaceutical firms are also doing research work on vaccine production.

SO far, the mainland has 196 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus.