Morocco Explores Local Covid-19 Vaccine Production to Boost Vaccination Efforts

The conditions are in place to succeed in this challenge, say several Moroccan pharmaceutical operators interviewed by Medias24. They cite, among other things, the royal will to transform Morocco into a vaccine production hub on the scale of Africa, European partners who want to support this will, and national laboratories that are ready to invest.

The project is being set up discreetly and soon a technology partner could install the production units, they reassure, while confiding that there is at least one private project. It is also very likely that the State will launch its own project.

Indeed, in order to ensure health security for all Moroccans and put the national economy back on track, the government has launched a vaccination campaign. To date, nearly 8.5 million people have been fully vaccinated according to a source from the ministry, far from the expected forecasts. The kingdom is therefore facing a vaccine deficit attributable to its suppliers who are having supply difficulties.

As a result, having a vaccine unit in Morocco offering large production capacities will significantly reduce the waiting time for vaccine supply, both for our country and for the rest of Africa.

The technical prerequisites are all in place for the kingdom to embark on the adventure. "Several initiatives exist and existed long before the Covid crisis. We already manufacture and develop our own vaccines for veterinary use on site for years. Our country is capable of manufacturing vaccines," comment the same sources.

However, explains Ali Sedrati, president of FMIIP, in terms of technology transfer, Morocco must demand from its vaccine suppliers, who are suffering from production capacity problems, a Tech transfer clause. Several countries such as Thailand have done this with their suppliers. It has demanded from Astrazeneca the Tech transfer in order to produce the ordered vaccines for its population. The British giant has not only accepted, but has helped a Thai pharmaceutical company to build and equip the first vaccine unit in the country.