Serum Institute of India offers to help PH locally produce vaccines — Galvez

MANILA, Philippines — The Serum Institute of India (SII), said to be the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has offered to help the Philippines locally produce its own vaccines, an official leading the country’s vaccination against COVID-19 said Wednesday.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the possibility of locally producing vaccines in the Philippines was among the positive outcomes of his recent visit to India.

“Tayo rin po ay nakipagusap sa Serum Institute of India upang pag-aralan ang possibilidad na ibalik ang kakayahan ng ating bansa na makapagproduce ng sarili niyong bakuna,” Galvez said in an online forum.

(We have talked to the Serum Institute of India to study possibly returning the country’s ability to produce its own vaccines.)

“Ang ganda ng SII, meron silang 136 scientists. Gusto po nilang tulungan tayo na tayo po ay makapagproduce ng sarili nating bakuna,” he added.

(The SII is really good, they have 136 scientists and they want to help us produce our own vaccines.)

Galvez said the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine had sent to him its plan on how to expand the country’s research and development program but admitted it will require massive investment before it is realized.

“It will require investments, the economy of scale investment para sa ‘tin po talaga na magkaroon ng definitive na source ng vaccine,” he said.

(It will require investments, the economy of scale investment for us to have a definitive source of vaccines.)

During Galvez’s visit to India, the Philippines inked the supply agreement with American drugmaker Novavax for 30 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines which are manufactured by the SII.

/MUF