With enterovirus infections having claimed the lives of six children so far this year and the possibility of a large-scale enterovirus outbreak looming, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan instructed the national health administration to step up efforts to produce vaccines against the virus.

At a press conference following a weekly Cabinet meeting, CDC Director Kuo Hsu-sung said that according to CDC estimates, the animal testing stage of the enterovirus vaccines should begin as soon as early 2009, while the human testing stage will start three years from now, after the animal testing is completed.

Kuo also noted that the CDC will include the development of an enterovirus vaccine as one of the government's major biotech projects and will seek help from the domestic biotech industry and academia to accelerate the new drug development process.

According to the CDC, if there is a major enterovirus outbreak this year, the number of severe enterovirus infections could rise to 300 nationwide by mid-June.