South Africa has achieved a major medical breakthrough as researchers and scientists have begun clinical trials for the country’s first domestically manufactured vaccine in more than 50 years.
The oral cholera vaccine, developed by Cape Town-based pharmaceutical company Biovac, is currently being tested to assess its safety in adults. Subsequent trials will compare its effectiveness with other cholera vaccines already available on the global market.
Government officials have hailed the development as a “milestone in Africa’s ability to produce vaccines for itself,” marking a key step toward reducing dependence on imported pharmaceutical ingredients.
“If our vaccine proves successful, we’ll become the world’s second producer of oral cholera vaccines, strengthening global supply and aiding regions battling outbreaks,” said Professor Glenda Gray, Chief Scientific Officer at the South African Medical Research Council.
