TRIALS AROUND THE WORLD, NEARLY
HALF OF THEM ARE BEING DEVELOPED
HERE.
WHICH MEANS IT’S POSSIBLE CHINA
COULD FINISH FIRST.
IN THE RACE AGAINST THE
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, CHINA HAS
AT LEAST FIVE VACCINES IN HUMAN
TRIALS.
NBC NEWS IS THE ONLY U.S. NEWS
CREW TO SEE THIS FIRST HAND.
A POTENTIAL VACCINE THAT ITS
DEVELOPER SEES AS PROMISING.
SO THE CELLS ARE GROWING IN
HERE.
THOSE ARE VIRUS CELLS CHURNING
IN BIOREACTORS.
MADE OF INACTIVATED CELLS MEANT
TO BEHAVIOR LIKE AN INFECTION
BUT NOT MAKE PEOPLE SICK.
SIMILAR TO VACCINES FOR POLIO
AND RABIES.
DO YOU FEEL CLOSE?
>> YES.
>> Reporter: SCIENTISTS HERE
HOPE THEIR VACCINE CALLED
CORONAVAC WOULD BE READY BY THE
END OF THE YEAR.
>> WE’RE ALL COMPETING.
THIS IS THE ULTIMATE OBJECTIVE
TO GET RID OF THE VIRUS.
>> Reporter: IN CHINA FINDING
WAYS TO STOP THE VIRUS THAT
FIRST EMERGED HERE HAS BEEN MADE
A NATIONAL PRIORITY.
THE GOVERNMENT IS POURING
BILLIONS INTO DEVELOPMENT AND
HAS AN OWNERSHIP STAKE IN AT
LEAST THREE OF THE VACCINE
COMPANIES ALREADY IN CLINICAL
TRIALS.
AND IT ISN’T JUST A VACCINE
CHINA IS SAMING FOR.
AT PEKING UNIVERSITY, OOMS THEY
ARE LOOKING AT TREATING INFECTED
MICE.
ANIMAL TEST RESULTS PUBLISHED
SUGGESTS THE DRUG SHORTENS THE
RECOVERY TIME FROM COVID-19.
AND THE LEAD SCIENTIST, A FORMER
HARVARD UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR,
SAYS THERE ARE SIGNS THE DRUG
MAY ALSO OFFER SHORT-TERM
IMMUNITY.
>> IF PROVEN TO BE. EFFECTIVE, I
COULD OFFER A CURE EVEN BEFORE
THE VACCINE COMES OUT.
>> Reporter: YET WITH THE STAKES
SO HIGH, THE COMPETITION TO BE
FIRST IS FIERCE WITH PRESIDENT
TRUMP PUTTING BLAME FOR THE
PANDEMIC BACK ON CHINA.
>> I CAN NAME KUNG FLU.
>> Reporter: FOR CHINA IT’S AS
MUCH A RACE FOR PRESTIGE.
LEAVING ONLYE INGING SOME EXPERT
>> YOU LOOK AT THE TRACK RECORDS
OF THE COMPANIES THAT ARE
PREPARING THESE VACCINES AND
LOOK AT THEIR HISTORY AND SEE IF
THERE HAVE BEEN LAPSES IN THE
PAST.
SO IT’S A PREFILLED SYRINGE?
>> IT IS INJECTED.
>> Reporter: IT IS INJECTABLE.
RESULTS OF THEIR STUDY IN
SCIENCE, IT HAS SHOWN SIGNS OF
PROTECTION IN MONKEYS.
PHASE THREE HUMAN TRIALS START
SOON IN BRAZIL WHERE THE
INFECTION RATE IS STILL HIGH.
BECAUSE IN CHINA THERE AREN’T
ENOUGH CORONAVIRUS CASES ANYMORE
TO PROVE A POTENTIAL VACCINE CAN
WORK.
>> JANIS, AS YOU MENTIONED, IT’S
A RACE BETWEEN COMPANIES,
BETWEEN NATIONS.
IF CHINA DOES FINISH FIRST AND
GETS A VACCINE AHEAD OF THE
U.S., WOULD AMERICANS BE
ELIGIBLE TO GET THAT VACCINE?
>> Reporter: WELL, SAVANNAH,
MOST EXPERTS FIGURE THAT CHINA
IS GOING TO PRIORITIZE ITS OWN
PEOPLE FIRST.
SO XI JINGPING HAS SAID CHINA
WOULD SHARE THE VACCINE WITH THE
WORLD.
THE U.S. IS BEING JUST AS VAGUE
ON ITS PLANS AND NOBODY IS
TALKING TIMELINES QUITE YET.
THERE ARE STILL CONCERNS ABOUT
SAFETY AND REGULATORY SHORTCUTS
GIVEN THE URGENCY OF THE
PANDEMIC AND JUST THE SHEER
COMPETITION OF IT.
BUT EVEN IF CHINA DOESN’T
DEVELOP A SUCCESSFUL VACCINE,
IT’S LIKELY STILL GOING TO HAVE
TO BE INVOLVED IN THE MASS
PRODUCTION OF ONE.
FEW OTHER PLACES ON THE PLANET
HAVE THE SCALE TO DO IT.
SINIVAC, THE COMPANY WE VISITED,
ISN’T WASTING ANY TIME.
THEY’RE STILL MONTHS AWAY FROM
APPROVALS BUT THEY’RE ALREADY
RAMPING UP PRODUCTION ON 100
MILLION DOSES.
SAVANNAH?
>> YEAH.
THAT’S HOW THEY’RE FAST TRACKING
THESE VACCINES.
APP LOT OF THESE COMPANIES ARE