China leading COVID-19 vaccine research globally, says govt after Jair Bolsonaro's 'guinea pig' jibe

Beijing: China on Thursday defended its vaccine research and development capabilities, a day after Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro cancelled plans to buy a potential COVID-19 vaccine from it with a jibe that the Brazilian people will not be ࢀœanyoneࢀ™s guinea pigࢀ. ࢀœThe Brazilian people will not be anyoneࢀ™s guinea pig,ࢀ Bolsonaro said on Wednesday, a day after Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said Brazil wants to buy 46 million doses of Chinaࢀ™s Sinovac vaccine for the immunisation programme. China’s Sinovac vaccine was being tested by Brazilࢀ™s research centre Butantan Institute and still needs to be approved by the health regulator to…