Chinese researchers develop first bird flu vaccine

Chinese researchers have developed the first influenza vaccine for the deadly H7N9 bird flu virus which killed over 45 people in China since March. Shu Yuelong, director of the Chinese National Influenza Centre, said this is the first influenza vaccine ever developed by Chinese scientists. The vaccine has provided important technical support to the global battle the new flu strain, making contribution to the H7N9 flu virus epidemic control, said Shu, also director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza. The vaccine was jointly developed by the First Affiliated Hospital under the School of Medicine of the Zhejiang University, Hong Kong University, Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Food and Drug Control, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, state run Xinhua news agency reported. China reported the world’s first human case for H7N9 bird flu infection in March. So far a total of 136 people were...