Ministry of Agriculture has acted to raise the production of the bird flu vaccine. The country has been hit by a string of outbreaks of the disease. The ministry is also moving to crack down on sub-standard vaccines.

It's a race against time at the bird flu vaccine production lines at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute.

The institute has shortened its production cycle from 44 days to 34.

All of China's nine pharmaceutical companies specializing in the vaccine are digging in for increased capacity.

And earlier this month, the ministry introduced a scheme to improve coordination of distribution.

Zhang Baowen, Nat'l Bird Flu Control, HQ, said, "Considering our production capacity all over the country, it's safe to say that we can meet demands for bird flu vaccines in areas prone to the disease."

The ministry is also working closely with vaccine producers and distributors to keep sub-standard products off the market.

Source:CCTV.com