Expert says H7N9 vaccine important for next wave

A vaccine for H7N9 bird flu that is awaiting approval for clinical trials in China is more meaningful in preparation for the next wave of infection than for immediate application, said a top Hong Kong microbiologist. Hong Kong University microbiology professor Yuen Kwok-yung told media on Tuesday that the virus, which has infected about 370 people in China since March 2013, would gradually lose its power when the temperature increases to over 20 C, expected in late May in most areas of China. “Even if the vaccine could be put on the market as early as May, the situation is expected to turn better at that time,” said Yuen, who is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering for medicine and health. The number of those affected in almost a year is quite small when compared with China’s huge population of more than 1.3 billion, he added. “It’s unnecessary to use the...