Wary of Covid-19 vaccine shortages, several Asian governments are determined to develop home-grown shots
- In Japan, at least four pharmaceutical firms have undertaken phase 1 or phase 2 trials for several candidates
- In Southeast Asia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia are also banking on locally developed vaccines
Japan, South Korea, India, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are all betting on multiple locally developed vaccine candidates after struggling to secure adequate supplies of shots from overseas. Although locally developed vaccines are unlikely to arrive in time to save sluggish vaccine roll-outs, authorities and scientific experts regard the approach as a longer-term investment.
Many experts expect Covid-19 to circulate indefinitely. It means the emergence of variants resistant to existing vaccines and the potential need for booster shots to maintain immunity could fuel vaccine demand for years to come. Where supply exceeds domestic demand, countries that have developed their own vaccines may be able to capitalise on demand in poorer countries, creating openings for vaccine diplomacy.
“If you make the assumption that Covid-19 will be around beyond 2022, there could be a strong economic justification for these latecomers,” said Jerome Kim, director general of the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) in Seoul.
Kim said the first wave of vaccines could become “less useful” due to complications such as virus mutations, safety concerns, cost and logistical challenges.
“For instance, do side effects get more severe or immune/protective responses less robust after the third dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or the Moderna mRNA vaccine?” Kim said. “Will the very rare instances of blood clots cause decreased use of adenovirus-based vaccines as newer protein vaccines become available?”
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