Vaccines: a Belgian speciality

23/11/2020

Each day brings good news on vaccines against COVID-19 but there is still a long way to go before a vaccination. However, one thing is sure, Belgium plays an important role in the production chain of these vaccines.

In terms of production, Belgium has three major sites.

Firstly, in Puurs in the province of Antwerp, there is one of the Pfizer group's largest sterile production and packaging sites. This group mainly focuses on the production of the vaccine's active principle with its German partner BioNTech.

In the Walloon Brabant region, GSK is focused on the adjuvant, although it is working with Sanofi on the development of a candidate vaccine. Its Belgian site is its largest vaccine production site in the world.

In Seneffe, in the province of Hainaut, the Novasep group is co-producing a vaccine with AstraZeneca.

Alongside these large groups are also Belgian biotechnology firms such as Univercells and Eurogentec, ready to produce the vaccine or adjuvant in the context of the pandemic.

Not to mention our airports in Brussels and Liège which are actively preparing to transport these pharmaceutical products under particularly demanding conditions.