Several groups of scientists in Russia, where the world's first hepatitis C strain has been obtained, are working to create and test vaccine for this disease.

Academician Valery Chereshnev, vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Itar-Tass on Monday that the project involves five to six groups. The greatest progress has been achieved by the Institute of Immunology which is combining the vaccine with immunomodulators in order to get a reaction from a human organism.

"Hepatitis C vaccine is a 'trouble spot' for scientists around the world. Research is being conducted by all leading countries. But so far only we have the strain. However this leadership is ephemeral. Today we have it, but tomorrow it will be gone," Chereshnev said. "It takes time and a lot of money to introduce vaccine. Let alone the fact that all vaccines must be properly tested".

"Such testing is being conducted in Russia, but it is too early to talk about the results. Experiments show that the vaccine is highly affective. However the human population is not homogeneous. Ecological pressing reduces the immune reaction. And it is not clear as yet how the human organism will respond to vaccine in this situation", he said.