BREAKING NEWS

US official sees Zika vaccine trials starting by end of 2016

By REUTERS

JANUARY 28, 2016 19:16

CHICAGO - The United States has two potential candidates for a vaccine for the Zika virus and may begin clinical trials in people by the end of this year, but there will not be a widely available vaccine for several years, US officials said on Thursday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, said one of the vaccines was based on work done on the West Nile virus.

Fauci said that vaccine was never developed because a drug company partner could not be found, but he did not see this as an issue for Zika.

"We're already talking to a few companies who are able to partner with us in advanced development," he told a news conference.

Zika, a mosquito-transmitted virus, has been linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil. There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is like dengue and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes. An estimated 80 percent of people infected have no symptoms, meaning it can be hard to tell if a pregnant woman has been infected.

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