Sinovac Biotech said its inactivated hepatitis A vaccine has won an exclusive public sector supply contract in Oman for 2026 and 2027, marking its first breakthrough in the Gulf Cooperation Council vaccine market.

The Chinese vaccine company said its hepatitis A vaccine, Healive, was awarded sole-supplier status after it began supplying the Oman market, a GCC member country, in 2022 and gradually built a track record in product quality, delivery and logistics.

The GCC, a six-country bloc, has traditionally sourced vaccines for national immunization program from multinational pharmaceutical companies. Sinovac said the Oman contract shows its products and international supply capabilities have gained recognition in GCC markets, describing the deal as a key step in its expansion in the Middle East and Africa.

GCC countries apply strict regulatory and quality standards for vaccines, often aligned with those of the World Health Organization, and WHO prequalification is a key requirement for market access.

According to the company, Healive received WHO prequalification in 2017 and remains the only Chinese hepatitis A vaccine to have obtained that status.

Oman added the hepatitis A vaccine to its national immunization program in 2019, with children receiving two doses at 13 and 24 months of age. Sinovac cited a 15-year follow-up study showing the vaccine can provide at least 30 years of protection.