By RYAN KERR Associated PressBUCHAREST, Romania (AP) A vaccine for a coronaviruses deadly cousin could save hundreds of thousands of lives, Romanian authorities said Tuesday.
Dr. Lianne Arukova, the director of the National Institute of Health, said the coronivirus vaccine, known as a biologics vaccine, was approved by the Romanian Parliament last week and is now undergoing testing in the Romanian Republic.
She said the test results showed that the vaccine could help reduce the number of cases in Romania and help prevent further spread of the coronovirus.
Aru, who is in charge of the nation’s coronaviral vaccine development, said she expects to have the vaccine approved by Romania’s health minister in the coming weeks.
The virus is spread by coughing, sneezing and breathing in airborne droplets of virus-laden saliva.
The country’s top health official says about one million people have died from the virus in Romania.
About 2.4 million people in the country have been infected, and the virus is also spreading to some countries in the European Union.
The United States has reported the first cases in the U.S.
Aru said a coroniviral vaccine would reduce the numbers of cases and the spread of coronavids.
It would also help prevent new infections in people who already had the disease.