In the evolving race for Covid-19 vaccines, Indonesia has taken the apparent lead in Southeast Asia with the delivery of vaccines from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. this month.
Both countries are also involved in vaccine development and manufacturing, a testament to the variety of strategies employed in the region. This is how the region of more than 650 million people faces different fiscal, demographic and distribution challenges in their vaccine strategies.
INDONESIA
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Indonesia needs approximately 246 million doses to vaccinate 107 million people between 18 and 59 years old.
- The fourth most populous country in the world counts on both Western and Chinese vaccines, ordering 125.5 million doses of Sinovac and 30 million of Novavax Inc., while developing 57.6 million of its own Merah Putih
- It is seeking an additional 16 million from the global GAVI vaccine facility, while talks are also underway for 100 million AstraZeneca Plc and Pfizer Inc. for possible delivery
- Indonesia plans to vaccinate 16 million people monthly, with production seen as the main bottleneck rather than the logistics of getting the photos to thousands of islands
- The country will offer people free vaccines, and President Joko Widodo has ordered the Treasury Secretary to rearrange spending on other things to the free shots. He will also be the first to be vaccinated to show people it’s safe.
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4th quarter 2020: Sinovac
- Indonesia previously received 1.2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine in December, with a further 1.8 million injections to follow next month
- The drug regulator checks the vaccine to issue emergency consent as soon as possible, after which it begins vaccinating frontliners such as health workers, police and military
- Sinovac will also ship raw material for 45 million doses to be produced by PT Bio Farma in Indonesia by January. The state-owned company wants to produce 24 million doses per month.
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PHILIPPINES
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The country aims to have at least 50 million shots of vaccination next year to inoculate about a quarter of the population, most of which will likely arrive in late 2021 or early 2022. Priority for vaccinations will be given to medical frontliners and workers in industries perceived as critical, including low-income groups and those identified as high-risk.
- The country is looking at 73.2 billion pesos ($ 1.5 billion) in vaccines purchases it plans to finance with funding from multilateral agencies, state banks and companies and bilateral sources, Treasury Secretary Carlos Dominguez said.
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1st quarter 2021: Sinovac, Sputnik V.
- Vaccinations could start as early as the first quarter of 2021 with Sinovac and Russia’s Sputnik V shots, according to vaccine Tsar Carlito Galvez
- He said the Philippines has informed the Chinese manufacturer that they need 25 million doses by 2021. Sinovac has pledged to ship supplies at least 60 days after signing a deal, which the country plans to close in December.
- President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the US Food and Drug Administration to allow emergency vaccine use with data from “adequate and known controlled trials,” reducing the approval process to three weeks instead of six months.
- Sinovac and Sputnik V have yet to receive local FDA approval.
May 2021: AstraZeneca
- As early as May, the country will receive 2.6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines purchased by local gathering companies800 million pesos ($ 17 million) to buy 3 million shots.
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MALAYSIA
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The country wants to buy shots for 70% of the population, more than double the current 30% coverage, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said. this month. It also plans to tap into the Covax facility to deliver vaccines to 10% of the population, while reaching 10 companies with vaccines that are in phase III clinical trials.
- Malaysia will 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 with a candidate vaccine developed by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences of the Institute of Medical Biology
- Malaysia has signed an MOU with China in it October will be given priority access to Covid-19 vaccines that China is developing.
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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 agreement with Pfizer covers 12.8 million doses to vaccinate 6.4 million people and is subject to the approval of the vaccine by the US FDA and the Malaysian regulator.
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SINGAPORE
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The city-state has set aside about $ 750 million for vaccines using such Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc., Moderna Inc., Pfizer and Sinovac for supplies. It estimates that by the third quarter of 2021, there will be enough doses for the population and can offer vaccinations to the entire population of more than 5 million people by the end of next year.
- Frontliners, the elderly and the frail are a priority in the country’s vaccination program
- The goal is to vaccinate the entire adult population, although this will be voluntary
- Vaccines will be free for 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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4th quarter 2020: Pfizer
- Singapore will receive its first shipment of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine in late December. The images have been approved by the Health Sciences Authority.
Early 2021: Arcturus
- Arcturus and Singapore’s Economic Development Board have entered into a supply agreement for the right to purchase the ARCT-021 vaccine
- Arcturus may ship the first batch of the Covid-19 vaccine it is developing early next year along with local scientists
- 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 vaccinate about 50% of its population next year. It plans to receive 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. Because Thailand does not only want to rely on vaccinations from abroad, Thailand is also developing its own anti-coronavirus injection.
- A research project for mRNA vaccines will start in April with the first phase of clinical trials and the second phase in June. The vaccines may be available by the end of 2021 after emergency authorization.
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Mid-2021: AstraZeneca
- Thailand has a prior 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 by mid-2021 and are expected to be distributed from then on
- In agreement with AstraZeneca, Siam Bioscience will produce vaccines at its facilities and Thailand will receive technology transfer
- Thailand will provide coronavirus vaccines to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam at “reasonable prices” when it begins production, Prayuth said.
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VIETNAM
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The country is developing vaccines and will work with suppliers when vaccines are available, a spokeswoman for the State Department said.
- Vietnam is in talks with Pfizer and other drug manufacturers in the US, UK, China and Russia about getting coronavirus shots, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported, citing officials at the Ministry of Health.
- Vietnam’s Nonogen Pharmaceutical Biotechnology plans to start first phase of clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine Nanocovax this month, with production in 2022 if trials are successful
- Two other Vietnamese vaccine manufacturers will begin human trials for their coronavirus shots in February and March.
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