TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Academia Sinica President James Liao (廖俊智) on Wednesday (Oct. 22) predicted that a coronavirus vaccine developed by Taiwanese researchers will not be available until at least after the first half of 2021.

During a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan, Liao mentioned that researchers from Academia Sinica have developed a COVID-19 rapid test system that can yield accurate results in three minutes. He said the research institute has also provided lab results based on mice experiments to local manufacturers for developing a coronavirus vaccine.

Liao said Academia Sinica has been helping vaccine developers carry out animal testing and has observed considerable progress. However, he predicted that the Taiwanese vaccine would be ready by mid-2021 or even later, adding that manufacturers might have a more accurate timeline.

Liao also said that he believed the global outbreak will continue until the start of next year, as the pandemic is worse than international experts have expected. He emphasized that ultimately the key to overcoming coronavirus is public compliance with health and safety regulations.

Meanwhile, Liao said it is difficult to determine how long it will take for global scientists to develop the first effective COVID-19 vaccine. He stressed that safety remains the top priority for vaccine developers and that U.S. pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson has set a good example by halting its vaccine trial due to safety concerns, reported CNA.