YANGON - Myanmar launched the production of Myancopharm COVID-19 vaccines here on Wednesday at Myanmar Pharmaceutical Industry (MPI) in collaboration with China.

Lt.-Gen. Aung Lin Dwe, secretary of the State Administration Council (SAC), said Myanmar has trialed and produced COVID-19 vaccines domestically in cooperation with Sinopharm CNBG.

"Technology for vaccine production was obtained and foreign currency use would be reduced as Myancopharm COVID-19 vaccines were successfully produced in the country," he said.

Chinese Ambassador Chen Hai said Sinopharm's cooperative Ready to Fill (RTF) Bulk vaccine plant with Myanmar is the Chinese pharmaceutical company's first COVID-19 vaccine plant officially put into operation in the Asia-Pacific, which will help Myanmar strengthen its capacity to independently produce vaccines.

Union Minister for Ministry of Industry Charlie Than said the ministry and Sinopharm CNBG signed the agreement of RTF Bulk purchase for the production of COVID-19 vaccines in Myanmar on Dec 22 last year.

The ministry will be manufacturing 1 million doses of vaccine per month, targeting 10 million doses for 2022-2023 Fiscal Year. The vaccines will be distributed to the Ministry of Health starting in April, he stressed.

As of March 19, over 21.6 million people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 across the country, according to the Ministry of Health.