Philippines urged to manufacture own vaccines

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines needs to develop its capability to manufacture its own vaccines to better equip the country in its fight against emerging illnesses and pandemics, including those in the livestock and poultry sectors.

In a recent interview, United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA) president Elias Jose Inciong stressed the need to develop the country’s capability to make vaccines “in the event that there will be new strains,” particularly in animal diseases such as the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or bird flu.

Currently, the country’s option to help control the spread of diseases is to import vaccines.

“Right now, what is available commercially would mean importation. We have yet to develop a virology center. But we really need that capability,” Inciong said.

Having a virology center will help a nation fight emerging diseases, as in the experience of Indonesia when bird flu plagued Indonesia, according to Teguh Prajitno, PT Japfa Comfeed Indonesia senior vice president and animal health and laboratory services director.

“The Philippines needs a lab here for vaccine production. If you see Vietnam, they have six. Indonesia has five, including the government facility. Thailand has a university that produces vaccines,” he said.

With its own facility, Prajitno said the Philippines would no longer need to import vaccines and be able to address the spread of specific stains of diseases immediately.

“The Philippines, in the future, needs a manufacturing lab so it won’t rely on vaccines from overseas,’’ he said.

PT Japfa Comfeed is one of Indonesia’s largest agri-food companies that has been producing vital animal protein staples for the nation since 1975.   It is developing and manufacturing vaccines against various strains of HPAI.

Setting up a virology center takes time, so addressing a disease needs cooperation with other countries with capabilities to develop specific vaccines.

Bills seeking to create the Virology Institute of the Philippines (VIP) and a disease control center are among President Marcos’ 19 priority measures.

In December last year, the House of Representatives approved on final reading House Bill 6452 which seeks to establish the VIP.

In the upper chamber, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian authored Senate Bill 941 or the proposed Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines Act of 2022.

The Senate bill seeks to create the VIP to serve as the premier research and development institute in the field of virology, encompassing all areas of study of viruses and viral diseases in plants, animals and humans.