Cape Town based, biotech company, Biovac, has begun local manufacturing of global pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Pasteur's six-in-one paediatric vaccine. This is the first time since the mid-1990s that any sterile manufacturing of human vaccines has been done on South African soil.
This fully liquid six-in-one vaccine seeks to prevent six childhood diseases, namely diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis b, haemophilus influenza b and poliomyelitis. Combination vaccines reduce the risk of needle stick injuries associated with multiple injections, increase compliance, and reduce the cold chain requirements needed in healthcare facilities. The vaccine was introduced into the Department of Health's Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) since 2015, and over five-million infants have received the vaccine to date.
The hexavalent vaccine does not need to be mixed before injection. This makes it easier to administer in remote and resource-poor health settings. It is a key vaccine in the national immunisation programmes in eight public markets, including Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Chile and South Africa.