Malaysia is expected to produce its first locally manufactured human vaccine as early as 2028, marking a major step towards strengthening the country’s healthcare and biotechnology capabilities.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Chang Lih Kang said the vaccine would be a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), which will be produced by Pharmaniaga Bhd through a technology transfer agreement with a Chinese company.
The PCV13 vaccine is designed to provide protection against 13 types of Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, which are known to cause serious illnesses such as pneumonia and meningitis.
Chang said developing local vaccine production capacity would reduce Malaysia’s dependence on imported supplies while improving the country’s preparedness in handling future public health emergencies.
He said the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of having domestic vaccine capabilities, as Malaysia previously had to rely on other countries for vaccine supplies.
“When we depend on other countries, they determine when vaccines are delivered and the prices offered, which can become a challenge especially during a crisis,” he was quoted as saying.
Currently, Malaysia imports vaccines from several countries including the United States, France, Belgium, Japan, South Korea, India, Thailand and Indonesia.
Chang said Malaysia had originally set a target of developing human vaccine manufacturing capabilities by 2030, but the progress achieved could allow the goal to be reached two years earlier.
He added that the country is also exploring another vaccine-related development involving a hexavalent vaccine for children as part of efforts to expand Malaysia’s healthcare innovation sector.
