"We overcame the SARS epidemic in 2003, and we will surely
conquer the bird flu virus," said Premier Wen
Jiabao in Beijing on Thursday when inspecting workshops
researching human vaccines and medicines against bird flu.
Accompanied by Vice Premiers Wu Yi and
Hui
Liangyu, Wen went to the Beijing Kexing Biological Product
Company on Thursday morning.
Kexing, the first in the world to develop SARS vaccines, is now
working with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention
to on human vaccine research.
Chinese scientists have reportedly developed human vaccines for
the bird flu and will carry out clinical tests soon.
Millions of chickens, ducks, geese and other poultry have been
culled after bird flu outbreaks were reported in Xinjiang,
Liaoning, Hubei, Anhui and Hunan provinces.
China's health authorities confirmed on Wednesday the country's
first two human cases of bird flu.
The two confirmed cases involve a nine-year-old boy in Xiangtan
County in Hunan Province, and a 24-year-old woman in Zongyang
County in Anhui Province. The boy has been discharged from
hospital. The woman died on November 10.
"The public pay great attention to vaccine safety issues, which
should not be overlooked," Wen told company leaders.
Wen also visited the institute that is researching and
manufacturing medicines for the treatment of human cases of bird
flu..
"The current situation in China is serious, " Wen said after his
inspection tour.
"Prevention of human infections of bird flu and safeguarding
people's health and safety are the focus of our prevention work,"
he said.
The efficient prevention and controlling of the spread of the
epidemic depends on science and technology, he added.
He also called for further progress in bird flu vaccine,
medicine research and production, as well as the monitoring of
migratory birds.
China hastened to fight bird flu earlier this month, when it was
decided at a cabinet meeting chaired by Wen to set aside 2 billion
yuan (US$248 million) to check the spread of the virus. On Tuesday,
China announced plans to vaccinate its more than 14 billion
poultry.
(Xinhua News Agency November 18, 2005)