China approves new polio vaccine, gets applause by WHO
China’s aspiration to become a world leader in producing innovative drugs were met with success when it developed a new polio vaccine.
The development drew praise from the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday who said the vaccine, which will be given to Chinese children as part of routine disease prevention, would help the global fight against the polio virus.
China’s private and state-run medical laboratories have been growing in sophistication, helping reduce reliance on imported medicines and competing with global rivals.
“This new vaccine is a critically important weapon in the fight against polio as the world nears the eradication of this dreaded disease,” Bernhard Schwartländer, WHO representative inChina, said.
China technically eradicated polio in 2000, but there have been outbreaks of the disease in the country since.
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
