China accelerating research into COVID-19 shots targeting Omicron -state media

China is accelerating research and development of COVID-19 vaccines targeting the Omicron variant, a health official said on Thursday, amid concerns among global scientists that it may spread more quickly than other strains. Mainland China has not detected any Omicron case yet. 'We are rapidly pushing forward the research and development of Omicron-specific vaccines based on different technologies,' Zheng Zhongwei, who heads a group tasked with COVID-19 vaccine development in China, told state broadcaster CCTV.