China is expected to conduct clinical experiments of a vaccine for SARS by the end of the year, leading the world in the search for the first vaccine against the deadly disease, a drug official said on Saturday.

　　Yin Hongzhang, head of the Biological Product Section of the State Food and Drug Administration, said the administration is expected to approve clinical tests of the vaccine by the end of next month.

　　Pre-clinical experiments of the vaccine have been completed, said the official.

　　China has produced about 1,400 shots of the vaccine, and another 20,000 shots will be packaged and inspected by quality control experts, Yin said.

　　He said tests of the vaccine on monkeys showed it was effective in fighting against SARS infection after the animals were exposed to the virus and had no serious side effects.

　　Yin Weidong, general manager of Beijing Kexing Bio-product Co, the developer of the vaccine, said an application for clinical tests had been submitted to the State Food and Drug Administration.

　　Yin Hongzhang said the drug administration would process the application for clinical tests as quickly as possible.

　　Scientists with the company began to develop the vaccine at the end of April this year after the outbreak of SARS on the Chinese mainland.

　　Medical experts around the world have warned that SARS might return this winter.