In the evolution of the race for vaccines against Covid-19, Indonesia has taken the apparent lead in Southeast Asia with the delivery of vaccines from China Sinovac Biotech Ltd. this month.
The largest and most populous economy in Southeast Asia has also announced multiples agreements to receive potential vaccines as the nation fights the worst coronavirus outbreak in the region.
Both countries are also involved in the development and manufacture of vaccines, a testament to the variety of strategies employed throughout the region. The following shows how the region of more than 650 million people faces different fiscal, demographic, and distribution challenges in their vaccination strategies.
INDONESIA
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Indonesia needs about 246 million doses to vaccinate 107 million people aged From 18 to 59 years old.
- The fourth most populous nation in the world uses both Western and Chinese vaccines, ordering 125.5 million doses in Sinovac and 30 million in Novavax Inc., while developing 57.6 million of its own Merah Putih
- It is looking for another 16 million of the world’s GAVI vaccination facilities, while talks are also being held for 100 million AstraZeneca Plc and Pfizer Inc. for possible supplies
- Indonesia plans to vaccinate 16 million people a month, with production considered the main bottleneck instead of the logistics of shooting thousands of islands
- The country will offer free vaccines to the people and President Joko Widodo has ordered the Finance Minister to reallocate spending on other matters towards free throws. He will also be the first to inoculate himself as a way to show people that he is safe.
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4Q 2020: Sinovac
- Indonesia received 1.2 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine in early December, with another 1.8 million shots coming next month
- Its drug regulator is checking the vaccine to issue the emergency use permit as soon as possible, after which it will begin vaccinating leaders as health workers, police and military
- Sinovac will also ship raw material for 45 million doses to be manufactured by Indonesia’s PT Bio Farma in January. The state-owned 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 vaccines 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 given priority to medical leaders and to workers in industries considered critical, including low-income groups and those identified as at risk.
- The nation is watching 73.2 million pesos ($ 1.5 billion) in vaccine purchases it plans to finance with funding from multilateral agencies, state-owned banks and companies and bilateral sources, said Treasury Secretary Carlos Dominguez.
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1T 2021: Sinovac, Sputnik V
- According to vaccine Tsar Carlito Galvez, vaccinations could begin as early as the first quarter of 2021 using shots from Sinovac and Sputnik V in Russia.
- He said the Philippines has informed the Chinese manufacturer that it needs 25 million doses by 2021. Sinovac has pledged to ship supplies at least 60 days after the signing of an agreement, which the country intends to seal in December
- President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the nation’s Food and Drug Administration to allow emergency use of vaccines that contain data from “appropriate and known controlled trials,” reducing the approval process to three weeks in from six months.
- Sinovac and Sputnik V have not yet received local FDA approval.
May 2021: AstraZeneca
- The country will receive, in May, 2.6 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines purchased by local companies that grouped approximately 800 million pesos ($ 17 million) to buy 3 million shots.
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MALAYSIA
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The country is looking to buy shots for 70% of its population, more than double the current 30% coverage, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin this month. It also plans to take advantage of Covax’s facilities to provide vaccines to 10% of the population and reach 10 companies with vaccines in phase III clinical trials.
- Malaysia to conduct first trial of Covid-19 vaccine in December as part of government-to-government agreement with China
- It will be a phase III trial with a vaccine candidate developed by the Institute of Medical Biology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
- Malaysia signed an MOU with China in October will have priority access to Covid-19 vaccines being developed by China.
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1Q 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 depends on the vaccine being approved by the U.S. FDA and the Malaysian regulator.
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SINGAPORE
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The city-state has allocated approximately $ 750 million to vaccines, taking advantage of similar ones Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc., Moderna Inc., Pfizer and Sinovac for supplies. It is estimated that there will be enough doses for its population in 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.
- In the country’s vaccination program, priority will be given to front lines, the elderly and the vulnerable
- Its goal is to vaccinate the entire adult population, although it will be voluntary
- Vaccines will be free for all and long-term residents of Singapore
- 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 shots have been approved by the Health Sciences Authority.
Early 2021: Arcturus
- Arcturus and the Singapore Economic Development Board have signed a supply agreement for the right to purchase the ARCT-021 vaccine
- Arcturus may send the first batch of the Covid-19 vaccine it is developing with local scientists early next year
- The results so far show that the vaccine could be effective as a single dose, the Straits Times reported, citing a professor who jointly developed the vaccine with Arcturus.
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THAILAND
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Thailand wants to inoculate about 50% of its population next year. It plans to obtain 26 million doses from the Covax program, supported by the World Health Organization, 26 million from AstraZeneca and 13 million more from other sources, providing immunity to more than 30 million people. Because it does not want to rely solely on inoculations from abroad, Thailand is also developing its own anti-coronavirus trait.
- A mRNA vaccine research project is expected to begin the first phase of clinical trials in April and the second phase in June. Vaccines may be available in late 2021 after receiving emergency use authorization.
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Mid-2021: AstraZeneca
- Thailand has prior agreement with AstraZeneca to secure Covid-19 vaccines, which are expected to be approved and produced by mid-2021, said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha
- Thailand may receive vaccine doses in mid-2021 and is expected to be distributed from then on
- Siam Bioscience will produce vaccines at its facilities, according to AstraZeneca, 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 they are available, according to a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.
- Vietnam is in talks with Pfizer and other drug manufacturers in the US, UK, China and Russia over the acquisition of coronavirus shots, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported, citing health ministry officials
- Vietnam’s Nonogen pharmaceutical biotechnology plans to begin clinical trials in the first phase of its Nanocovax coronavirus vaccine this month, with production in 2022 if tests are successful.
- Two other Vietnamese vaccine manufacturers will begin human trials against their coronavirus traits in February and March.
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