SK bioscience secures first UNICEF contract for influenza vaccine supply

SK bioscience, a vaccine development and manufacturing company headquartered in Seongnam, South Korea, has been designated as a supplier of influenza vaccines for UNICEF’s 2026 immunization programs, marking the company’s first procurement contract with the organization.

The company has begun shipments to Southern Hemisphere countries including Laos, Myanmar, and Fiji, with Northern Hemisphere deliveries to Ethiopia, Lebanon, Albania, and Palestine scheduled to begin in September, according to the announcement. SK bioscience was selected as UNICEF’s sole supplier for the Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccine program and as a major supplier for the Northern Hemisphere program, with approximately 640,000 doses scheduled for delivery throughout the year.

The company’s influenza vaccine, SKYCellflu, is produced using cell culture-based manufacturing technology, which the company said reduces the risk of virus mutations during production and enables shorter production timelines compared with egg-based manufacturing methods. The vaccine is the world’s first cell culture-based influenza vaccine to receive WHO prequalification certification, the company contends.

The UNICEF contract expands SK bioscience’s public procurement presence alongside its existing supply relationship with the Pan American Health Organization, according to the announcement. The company said the dual-hemisphere supply programs will support year-round utilization of its manufacturing facilities.

Jaeyong Ahn, CEO of SK bioscience, said in a statement the UNICEF contract marks a meaningful milestone in expanding the company’s presence in the global public procurement market, combining commercial sustainability with public health value.

The announcement follows SK bioscience’s agreement last week with VECOL, Colombia’s state-owned pharmaceutical company, to support a $260 million national vaccine localization initiative through technology transfer and local manufacturing of its WHO-certified varicella vaccine SKYVaricella.