The Chinese government appears to be withholding samples of the bird flu virus H7N9, requested by U.S. researchers:
The samples are critical for studying the virus and developing life-saving treatments and vaccines in preparation for potential outbreaks or pandemics. Usually, countries share viral samples "in a timely manner" without any fanfare under an agreement established by the World Health Organization to address such potential flu threats. That usually means a matter of months.
But according to The New York Times, China has failed to share the samples for more than a year, despite persistent requests from government officials and researchers, including those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Moreover, scientists and experts worry that, as the US and China continue to butt heads on trade agreements, the issue of sharing biological samples and other medical-related materials could worsen.
We can make our own flu, and send them live samples.
Also at The New York Times.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by RamiK on Wednesday August 29 2018, @07:21PM (2 children)
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201808/18/WS5b776d62a310add14f38674d.html [chinadaily.com.cn]
On the other hand, the way American courts let pharma postpone court dates for close to a decade even when whistleblowers come forwards ( https://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/merck-mumps-motions-whistleblowers-the-actual-story/ [skepticalraptor.com] *) doesn't exactly fills me with confident about made-in-American pharmaceuticals either.
*Provax blog since most of the antivax people are conspiracy nuts that would throw the baby out with the bathwater and I only have so much patience to paranoid loons other than myself.
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(Score: 2) by RamiK on Wednesday August 29 2018, @07:26PM
Sorry for the lack of proofing. Android...
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 29 2018, @07:41PM
Chinese pharmas pull the same stunt their food industry does. Google Chinese-sourced blood pressure medicine.