On the afternoon of 22 February, at the 27th local press briefing on the epidemic control of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Zhejiang Province, Song Zhiheng, deputy head of the Science and Technology Department of Zhejiang Province, said that the first batch of vaccines has successfully induced antibody production and entered the stage of animal test. The cultivation of recombinant virus for the development of recombinant adenovirus vector vaccine has started, and animal test will begin soon. In Zhejiang Province, scientists are already conducting vaccine research based on the fourth generation of the coronavirus, and they are now racing against time to seek breakthroughs. Despite these positive developments, it is important to recognize that there is a long R&D cycle for vaccines and the law of science must be respected to make sure that the research process is strictly science-based and safe.

?

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People’s Republic of China