In the evolving race for Covid-19 vaccines, Indonesia has taken the apparent lead in Southeast Asia with the delivery of vaccines from China. Sinovac Biotech Ltd. this month.
Both countries are also involved in the development and manufacture of vaccines, a testament to the variety of strategies employed in the region. Here’s how the region of more than 650 million people is grappling with different fiscal, demographic, and distribution challenges in its vaccine strategies.
INDONESIA
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Indonesia needs around 246 million doses to vaccinate 107 million people Aged 18 to 59 years.
- The fourth most populous nation in the world is betting on both Western and Chinese vaccines, requesting 125.5 million doses of Sinovac and 30 million doses. Novavax Inc., while developing 57.6 million of its own Merah Putih
- It is seeking another 16 million from the global GAVI vaccine facility, while they are also in talks for 100 million AstraZeneca Plc and Pfizer Inc. for possible supply
- Indonesia plans to be able to vaccinate 16 million people a month, and production is seen as the main bottleneck rather than the logistics of getting the vaccines on thousands of islands.
- The country will offer free vaccines to people and President Joko Widodo ordered the finance minister to reallocate spending on other issues towards free vaccines. It will also be the first to be inoculated as a way to show people that it is safe.
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4Q 2020: Sinovac
- Indonesia received 1.2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine in early December, and another 1.8 million injections will arrive next month.
- Its drug regulator is conducting checks on the vaccine to issue an emergency use authorization as soon as possible, after which it will begin vaccinating front-line people such as healthcare workers, police and military.
- Sinovac will also ship raw materials for 45 million doses to be manufactured by PT Bio Farma of Indonesia in January. The state firm aims to produce 24 million doses a month.
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PHILIPPINES
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The country wants to have at least 50 million vaccine injections next year to inoculate about a quarter of the population, most of which will likely arrive in late 2021 or early 2022. Vaccines will be prioritized for frontline physicians and workers in industries deemed critical, including low-income groups and those identified as at risk.
- The nation aims for 73.2 billion pesos (1.5 billion dollars) in vaccines purchases it plans to finance with financing from multilateral agencies, banks and state-owned companies and bilateral sources, said Finance Secretary Carlos Domínguez.
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Q1 2021: Sinovac, Sputnik V
- Vaccines could begin as early as the first quarter of 2021 with injections of Sinovac and Sputnik V from Russia, according to vaccine czar Carlito Galvez.
- He said the Philippines informed the Chinese manufacturer that it needs 25 million doses by 2021. Sinovac has pledged to ship supplies at least 60 days after signing a deal, which the country aims to seal in December.
- President Rodrigo Duterte directed the nation’s Food and Drug Administration to allow the emergency use of vaccines that have data from “adequate and well-known controlled trials,” reducing the approval process from six months to three weeks.
- Sinovac, Sputnik V have yet to receive approval from the local FDA.
May 2021: AstraZeneca
- In May, the country will receive 2.6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines purchased by local companies that grouped 800 million pesos ($ 17 million) to buy 3 million shots.
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MALAYSIA
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The country seeks to buy vaccines for 70% of its population, more than double the current coverage of 30%, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said. this month. It also plans to leverage the Covax facility to provide vaccines for 10% of the population, while simultaneously reaching 10 companies with vaccines that are in phase III clinical trials.
- Malaysia to conduct its first Covid-19 vaccine trial in December as part of a government-to-government agreement with China
- It will be a phase III trial on a candidate vaccine developed by the Institute of Medical Biology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.
- Malaysia signed a memorandum of understanding with China in October to have priority access to the Covid-19 vaccines that China develops.
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Q1 2021: Pfizer
- Pfizer will deliver one million doses to Malaysia in the first quarter of 2021, 1.7 million in the second, 5.8 million in the third and 4.3 million in the last three months of the year, Muhyiddin said in late November.
- The deal with Pfizer covers 12.8 million doses to vaccinate 6.4 million people and depends on the vaccine being approved by the US FDA and the Malaysian regulator.
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SINGAPORE
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The city-state has set aside approximately $ 750 million for vaccines, taking advantage of Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc., Moderna Inc., Pfizer and Sinovac for supplies. It estimates that there will be enough doses for its population by the third quarter of 2021 and it will be able to offer vaccines for the entire population of more than 5 million by the end of next year.
- Frontline people, the elderly and the vulnerable will be prioritized in the nation’s immunization program
- It aims to vaccinate the entire adult population, although it will be voluntary
- Vaccinations will be free to all Singaporeans and long-term residents
- NOTE: In addition to those listed below, Moderna has entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Health to supply the country with its mRNA-1273 vaccine.
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4Q 2020: Pfizer
- Singapore will receive its first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in late December. The vaccines have been approved by the Health Sciences Authority.
Early 2021: Arcturus
- Arcturus and the Singapore Economic Development Board have entered into a supply agreement for the right to purchase ARCT-021 vaccine.
- Arcturus may ship the first batch of the Covid-19 vaccine it is developing with local scientists early next year.
- Results so far show that the vaccine could be effective as a single dose, the Straits Times reported, citing a professor who co-developed the vaccine with Arcturus.
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THAILAND
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Thailand wants to inoculate around 50% of its population by next year. It plans to source 26 million doses from the World Health Organization-backed Covax program, 26 million from AstraZeneca and 13 million more from other sources, providing immunity to more than 30 million people. Not wanting to rely solely on vaccines from abroad, Thailand is also developing its own coronavirus vaccine.
- A research project for an mRNA vaccine is scheduled to start the first phase of clinical trials in April and the second phase in June. The vaccines may be available in late 2021 after receiving the emergency use authorization.
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Mid 2021: AstraZeneca
- Thailand has an advance agreement with AstraZeneca to secure Covid-19 vaccines, which are expected to be approved and produced in mid-2021, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said.
- Thailand may receive vaccine doses in mid-2021 and they are expected to be distributed thereafter.
- Under an agreement with AstraZeneca, Siam Bioscience will produce vaccines at its facilities and Thailand will receive technology transfer
- Thailand will supply coronavirus vaccines at “reasonable prices” to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam when production begins, Prayuth said.
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VIETNAM
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The country is working on vaccine development and will work with suppliers when vaccines become available, according to a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry.
- Vietnam is in talks with Pfizer and other drug makers in the US, UK, China and Russia to purchase coronavirus vaccines, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported, citing health ministry officials.
- Vietnam’s Nonogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology plans to begin first-phase clinical trials of its Nanocovax coronavirus vaccine this month, with production in 2022 if tests are successful.
- Two other Vietnamese vaccine manufacturers will begin human trials for their coronavirus vaccines in February and March.
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