Assaf Raz (left), director of research and development at Wuhan Phagelux Biotech Co, lauds China's vaccine service as "effective and efficient" and adds that he has "full confidence in the China-made vaccine". [Photo by Ke Hao/For chinadaily.com.cn]

An Israeli biotech expert working in Wuhan, Hubei province, lauds coronavirus vaccine service for foreigners as "effective and efficient" and adds that he has "full confidence" in the China-made vaccine.

Assaf Raz, head of research and development at Wuhan Phagelux Biotech Co, told Hubei Daily that he voluntarily received his first dose a week ago and mobilized his co-workers to join.

Raz came to Wuhan in 2019. Working at Biolake, the biotech center of Optics Valley of China and emerging technological center in the province, he said he has witnessed profound changes virtually daily.

Living on Guanshan Avenue, he was impressed by the rapid transportation.

"Now fast subways link the avenue to Biolake. Two years there was no subway at all. It went in fast," he said.

Last April, after the coronavirus lockdown in Wuhan was lifted, Raz resumed work in the city.

His company is now devoted to the research and development of a new type of medicine to cure eczema and acne, two stubborn skin diseases, and expects to "kill the virus within one minute," he said.

After the pandemic, the city of Wuhan has undergone "a major facelift", he said. "From bars to hotels, the city is regaining its vigor, and local residents are feeling extremely safe. Currently, Hubei is quite safe, and after the vaccination program, the province is even safer."

He said, in the past year, he was "impressed by the unity and discipline of the Chinese people".

In addition, he said, "With the protection of masks and high-tech protection efforts, China has gained unique experience in fighting the virus."

In addition, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic means both challenges and opportunities for Wuhan's biotech sector, he said.

"The Optics Valley of China is a magnet for leading global professionals in the sector," he said, expecting the area will import more experience from more innovation centers in the US Silicon Valley.

In his spare time, Raz enjoys traveling with his dog in a jeep.

"Because of the pandemic, my friends in the US and Europe are not ready to drive currently, but I can," he said.

He showed many photos he has taken during recent trips, including the Shennongjia Scenery Area, Xianning Taiyi Hole Scenery Area and even some places in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, a region more than 1,300 kilometers from Wuhan.