More vaccines being developed worldwide

Vaccine development continues worldwide

MANILA – Today, there are about 260 vaccines being developed worldwide. This was the update given by Food and Drug Administration Director General Dr. Eric Domingo to President Rodrigo Duterte during their top-level virtual meeting yesterday.

“There are about 260 vaccines being developed worldwide, and 88 are now into clinical development, most of which are into Phase 1 and Phase 2 while some are under Phase 3,” Dr. Domingo said.

He explained from the 88, there are 14 vaccines with Emergency Use Authorization worldwide. Ninety-one countries worldwide use Astra-Zeneca vaccines including the World Health Organization. Pfizer is being used by 82 countries, including the WHO.

Sputnik V vaccines from Russia’s Gamaleya are being used in 62 countries with Moderna and Janssen while Sinopharm is being utilized in 35 countries.

“There’s also this Covishield, which is just like AstraZeneca which is made in India, but AstraZeneca has not applied for EUA in the Philippines,” Dr. Domingo added. The Director General said there are lesser-known vaccines that are “coming up.”

He mentioned these vaccines as China’s SinoVac, from Bharat Biotech, Covaxin which also applied for EUA. There are other vaccines, most of which are from China and Russia.

A vaccine development in China, CanSino, is now undergoing clinical. This is the first vaccine that could be inhaled. Russia, according to Dr. Domingo is developing EpiVacCorona and now being used in two countries. He said SinoPharm has developed another vaccine using inactivated vero cells.

Russia, according to Dr. Domingo has begun using KoviVac from Chumakov Center. (Melo M. Acuña)

Food and Drug Administration Director-General Eric Domingo. (Screen grab from President Rodrigo Duterte's "Talk to the People" April 19,2021/Melo M. Acuna)