The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said the Philippines might begin producing its own COVID-19 vaccines in the last part of 2022.
According to Undersecretary Rowena Guevara, two of the six local pharmaceutical companies that have expressed their interest to establish a vaccine manufacturing facility in the country are now coordinating with the government.
“‘Pag tuloy-tuloy ‘yung ganito sila kaagresibo, based on our talks with them, kakayanin nila by end of 2022 mag-uumpisa sila [If they remain this aggressive in the negotiation, based on our talks, they can begin by end of 2022],” Guevara said.
The DOST said some companies also want to prioritize manufacturing vaccines being used in the national immunization program of the government, such as those for rubella and polio.
The fill-and-finish facilities will be able produce 40 million vaccines every year.
Meanwhile, several government agencies and Vaccine Czar Carlito Galvez Jr. have agreed to recommend to certify as urgent the bill establishing the Virology Institute of the Philippines to strengthen vaccine security in the country.
“I have been receiving emails from those Filipinos who are outside the country, na malapit nang mag-graduate ng [who are about to graduate from] virology or related fields and they are volunteering to come home to be part of the Virology Institute of the Philippines,” Guevara said.
“Our hope is that the Virology Institute is going to answer that specific need to prepare us for vaccine security in the future, whether it is a Philippine endemic virus or it is a pandemic,” she added. – Report from Mark Fetalco/AG-jlo
