This year marks the 35th anniversary of MSD’s transfer of its recombinant hepatitis B vaccine technology without any profit to China. The anniversary was highlighted at the 7th China International Import Expo.
Hepatitis B is one of the most severe infectious diseases globally and is a major public health issue in China. China once faced a severe threat from hepatitis B. The company decided to transfer the world’s most advanced recombinant hepatitis B vaccine production technology at that time to China in 1989.
The collaboration has proven fruitful as successive generations of Chinese newborns have benefited from the vaccine.
“Following the technology transfer, national immunization policies improved dramatically,” said Liang Xiaofeng, vice president of Chinese Preventive Medicine Association & dean of the Institute of Disease Control and Prevention of Jinan University.
“Vaccination coverage surged, and hepatitis B virus infection rates plummeted. In recent years, the vaccination rate for infants has reached an impressive 99 percent. The carrier rate of hepatitis B surface antigens among children under five has dropped from 9.7 percent in 1992 to just 0.3 percent in 2020, translating to tens of millions of lives saved.”
The success of the hepatitis B vaccination program has also served as a blueprint for combating other infectious diseases.
“The experience garnered from the hepatitis B vaccine initiative is invaluable as we address diseases with similar transmission pathways,” said Qiao Youlin, professor & researcher, School of Population Medicine and Public Health, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College.
“For instance, with cervical cancer, which is currently the only cancer with a clearly identified cause, HPV vaccination stands as an effective preventive measure.”
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the introduction of hepatitis B vaccine technology in China, as well as the 50th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization.
“Together with Chinese public health stakeholders, we continue to pursue the goal of eliminating communicable diseases for countless patients and families,” said Anna Van Acker, senior vice president of MSD and president of MSD in China.
“This historic move also marked our long-term commitment to delivering on our mission to save and improve lives.”