MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

China's Sinovac Biotech building vaccine plant in Chile investing US$ 100 million

The plant in the Santiago region will be able to fill and finish some 50 million doses annually, and should be ready before 2023

Chinese pharmaceutical Sinovac Biotech Ltd which makes one of the vaccines against Covid 19 most in several Latin American countries initiated on Thursday the construction of its first fill and finish plant in Chile, consolidating its presence in the Latin American country that has used its Covid-19 shot the most.

Chile has run one of the world’s fastest vaccination campaigns, with 26.6 million doses of Sinovac’s CoronaVac delivered.

The plant in the Santiago region will be able to fill and finish some 50 million doses annually, and should be ready before 2023 with an investment of some 100 million dollars, according to a release during a huge reception to launch the construction.

The plant will have 22.000 square meters and will be delivering doses against Covid 19, Hepatitis A and influenza, according to Virginia Garretón vice-president for corporate issues of Sinovac Biotech Chile. A research and development center in also planned for the northern region of Antofagasta.

The Chilean government bet big on Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine, part-funding along with local businesses CoronaVac’s trial in the country, and in 2021 ordered 60 million doses of the drug over the next three years, later topping up with more orders.