03 辉瑞和BioNTech将在南非生产新冠疫苗

他们将与开普敦疫苗企业Biovac合作，由其从2022年开始生产疫苗，目标是年产量超过1亿剂，以加速非洲大陆疫苗接种。

全文共407个词, By Erika Solomon in Berlin

Pfizer and BioNTech will begin manufacturing their Covid-19 vaccine in South Africa, as part of an effort to accelerate the rollout of the jab on a continent battling another wave of infections.

辉瑞（Pfizer）和BioNTech将开始在南非生产他们的新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19，即2019冠状病毒病）疫苗，作为加速非洲大陆疫苗接种努力的一部分。目前非洲正在与又一波感染作斗争。

The US pharma group and German biotech, who together created the first mRNA-based Covid vaccine to win regulatory approval, said on Wednesday that they would work with the Biovac Institute in Cape Town.

美国制药集团辉瑞和德国生物技术公司BioNTech共同开发了第一款获得监管批准的新冠疫苗，该疫苗基于信使RNA(mRNA)技术。这两家公司周三表示，将与开普敦疫苗企业Biovac Institute合作。

The collaboration with Biovac will enable its facility in Cape Town to complete the final stages of production, known as “fill and finish”, while still importing the vaccine material from Europe.

与Biovac合作将使其在开普敦的工厂能够完成疫苗生产的最后工序，即“灌封”（fill and finish），同时仍从欧洲进口疫苗原材料。

Under the plan, the manufacture of finished doses will start in 2022 and aim for annual production of more than 100m.

按照计划，成品疫苗的生产将从2022年开始，目标是年产量超过1亿剂。

The announcement comes a month after BioNTech’s founder and chief executive Ugur Sahin outlined plans to establish production facilities in Africa that will ultimately help tackle other diseases.

宣布此举的一个月前，BioNTech的创始人和首席执行官乌尔·沙欣（Ugur Sahin）概述了在非洲建立生产设施的计划，这些设施最终将帮助对付其他疾病。

Pfizer is among the drugmakers to have come under fire for resisting a move to waive international intellectual property rights on Covid vaccines, a step advocates argue will ensure the world’s population is inoculated more quickly.

辉瑞是因抵制豁免新冠疫苗国际知识产权的呼吁而受到抨击的制药商之一。倡导者称，豁免知识产权将确保更快为世界人口接种疫苗。

Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s chief executive, on Wednesday urged the World Trade Organization to help bring down trade barriers and preserve intellectual property rights, arguing they had been key to the speedy creation of several Covid vaccines.

辉瑞首席执行官艾伯乐（Albert Bourla）周三敦促世界贸易组织（WTO）帮助降低贸易壁垒并保护知识产权，称它们是快速开发多种新冠疫苗的关键。

Addressing WTO director-general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at a summit, Bourla said the agreement with Biovac proved “our commitment to fair and equitable access to the Pfizer BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to everyone, everywhere.”

艾伯乐在一个峰会上向世贸组织总干事恩戈齐·奥孔乔-伊维拉（Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala）直接喊话，称与Biovac达成的协议证明“我们致力于让所有地方的所有人都能公平、平等地获得辉瑞/BioNTech的COVID-19疫苗。”

“To Dr Ngozi and others who have expressed concern that Africa is being left behind in part due to lack of vaccine manufacturing, I want to say that we hear you,” he said.

“对恩戈齐博士和其他担忧非洲因缺少疫苗生产能力而被抛在后面的人士，我想说，我们听到了你们的意见，”他说。

Pfizer and BioNTech will begin the technical transfer, equipment installation and development of the Biovac facility immediately.

辉瑞和BioNTech将立即开始为Biovac的设施安排技术转让、设备安装和开发。

Sahin said the plan reflected BioNTech’s ambitions to pursue mRNA technology in Africa.

沙欣表示，该计划反映了BioNTech在非洲推广mRNA技术的雄心。

“This is why we will continue to evaluate sustainable approaches that will support the development and production of mRNA vaccines on the African continent,” he said in a statement.

“这就是为什么我们将继续评估支持非洲大陆mRNA疫苗开发和生产的可持续方法，”他在一份声明中表示。

BioNTech and Pfizer have shipped more than 1bn jabs around the world, and aim to produce 3bn doses this year.

BioNTech和辉瑞已经向世界各地发运逾10剂疫苗，并计划今年生产30亿剂。

Morena Makhoana, chief executive of Biovac, welcomed the new plan as a “critical step”toward improving vaccine access around the world.

Biovac首席执行官莫雷娜·马克霍纳（Morena Makhoana）对新计划表示欢迎，认为这是向着改善世界各地疫苗可获得性迈出的“关键一步”。

“We believe this collaboration will create opportunity to more broadly distribute vaccine doses to people in harder-to-reach communities, especially those on the African continent.”

“我们相信，这项合作将创造机会，更广泛地向偏远社区的人们分发疫苗，尤其是在非洲大陆。”