France's Macron visits vaccine research centre

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday visited the vaccine research and production site of a French pharmaceutical giant near Lyon, which is working on a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Sanofi group promised last month that it would make its COVID-19 vaccine, when ready, available in all countries, after the company's CEO said the United States would get first access.

Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson's comments that a vaccine would go first to the US prompted an angry reaction from the French government.

Macron is pushing for vaccines to be considered a "common good" for humanity that must not be subject to market pressures.

Dozens of vaccine candidates in earlier stages of development are being pursued around the world, yet a vaccine is likely to be a year or more away.