Canadian researchers believe human trials of a SARS vaccine could take place in the country by next autumn.

Scientists with the SARS Accelerated Vaccine Initiative (SAVI) say tests using small animals – mice and rabbits – are going well.

SAVI, run by the B.C. Centre for Disease Control along with an alliance of universities and hospitals, is trying to fast-track the development of a human vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome. Researchers hope to begin vaccine tests within months instead of years.




SAVI's scientific director says the speed of the development process is unprecedented, but he believes it is possible.

"We're trying to push the timeline as fast as we can. I mean it usually takes 10 years to really develop a vaccine," said Dr. Brett Finlay. "The idea would be to do it in two years."

Vaccines will be soon be tested on ferrets, which unlike other animals, do get sick when infected with the SARS virus.

If all goes well, scientists hope human trials could begin in less than a year.

Finlay said if SARS flares up again, health officials could set aside the many regulatory hurdles which usually precede human trials.

A SARS researcher at the University of Montreal plans to test vaccines on animals within six months.

"We had an epidemic. We don't know if we're going to have a second epidemic, so how are we going to test the efficacy of the vaccine if we don't have an epidemic?" asked Dr. Rafiq Sekaly.