MINSK, 19 May (BelTA) – The Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) is considering setting up an additional production facility to make COVID-19 vaccines for animals at the Belarusian company BelVitunipharm. This matter was in focus of an online meeting featuring representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor's Federal Center for Animal Health, adviser to Rosselkhoznadzor's head Yulia Melano, and top managers of BelVitunipharm, BelTA learned from Rosselkhoznadzor's website.
“The Russian party stressed that the maximum output of vaccine at the Federal Center for Animal Health equals three million doses a month, which exceeds the current demand. At the same time, as the interest in the Russian vaccine for animals from other countries is growing, Russia might need to launch the production of the vaccine at other manufacturing facilities, including at BelVitunipharm,” Rosselkhoznadzor said.
The agenda of the online meeting also included the production in Belarus of test kits to detect COVID-19 in animals developed by Rosselkhoznadzor's scientists a year ago. The participants also expressed interest in exchanging information about latest research in this field.
The parties discussed a possible visit of the Federal Center for Animal Health experts to Belarus to get familiar with BelVitunipharm operation and meet with their Belarusian partners in person.
The Carnivac-Cov vaccine is the only registered COVID-19 vaccine for animals in the world. Its development was financed by the Federal Center for Animal Health of Russia.
