China to Develop National Vaccine Provision System

The system will provide not only increased vaccine production capacity but also improved epidemic monitoring and additional R&D.

China says it will spend $1.45 billion to develop a national vaccine provision system to improve its ability to cope with epidemic emergencies. The goal is to create a system that can supply vaccines for regular use and that has the capacity to cope with epidemics.

Officials say the system should be set up by 2015 and expect it will accommodate "major epidemic situations as quickly and effectively as those found in developed countries"  5 years later, according to Xinhuanet. 

The system will provide not only increased vaccine production capacity but also improved epidemic monitoring and additional R&D, the report says.

Although China uses