Zika vaccine could be ready by end of 2016

A vaccine for the Zika virus could be ready by the end of the year, Reuters reported on Friday.

The virus has been linked to severe birth defects in thousands of infants, with a World Health Organisation committee due to meet on Monday to decide the seriousness of the outbreak.

In an interview with Reuters, scientist Gary Kobinger who is working on the vaccine said it could be ready for human testing in August and rolled out in October or November during a public health emergency.

"The first thing is to be ready for the worst," he said. "This vaccine is easy to produce. It could be cranked to very high levels in a really short time.”

US officials said on Thursday that a vaccine might not be widely available for several years.