The World Health Organization said Friday that six African countries will receive the technology and training needed to make messenger-RNA vaccines so they do not rely on donated shots to stave off COVID-19 and other diseases.
Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia will be the first “hubs” in the global mRNA technology transfer program, according to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Mr. Tedros said vaccines can stave off COVID-19, but some countries have enjoyed far more supply than others, underscoring the need for domestic production.
“Billions of people are yet to benefit from these life-saving tools,” he said.
Messenger RNA is the primary technology behind vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which are being deployed throughout the western world. The mRNA uses a snippet of genetic instructions that teach the body to recognize and fight the real coronavirus.
The pandemic is the first time the technology has been used in a widespread fashion.
Afrigen Biologics of South Africa has developed an mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 and will work with Biovac, a vaccine producer, as the first hub to scale up manufacturing on the continent.
Human clinical trials of the new vaccine will begin in the first quarter of this year, and teams at other hub locations will begin to receive the licenses and know-how to produce shots in March.
The director-general said the mRNA hub is a long-term project with benefits that should extend beyond COVID-19.
He said the technology could target malaria, tuberculosis and even cancer.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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