The Department of Science and Innovation welcomes the news that manufacturing and distribution remains uninterrupted following an incident at the Biovac manufacturing facility in Cape Town.
Biovac management has informed the Department that a fire occurred in one of the facility’s research and development buildings at the Pinelands site early on Sunday morning. The fire was contained and extinguished by the fire department.
There will be no impact on normal operations or the manufacture and delivery of vaccines. No one was injured as a result of the fire, and none of the products were affected.
The cause of the fire has not yet been established. An investigation will be conducted as standard procedure, but there is currently no evidence of foul play.
Biovac was established to revive human vaccine production in Southern Africa. Alongside the development of modern facilities, the company has secured high profile technology transfers from international pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Sanofi Pasteur.
The company also sources and supplies a comprehensive range of vaccines required by the Department of Health, supplying over 15 million doses of vaccines (excluding COVID-19 vaccines) per year across South Africa and into neighbouring countries.
Issued by the Department of Science and Innovation and Biovac.
For more info please contact:
DSI: Veronica Mohapeloa at 083 400 5750
Biovac: media@biovac.co.za
