NPRA looking into more vaccine registrations, to go for private market

 

COVID-19 | Health authorities have received applications from several companies to register their Covid-19 vaccines for use in Malaysia, said Khairy Jamaluddin.

However, the vaccines will not be used in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP), instead, they will be left for the private market.

The minister tasked to coordinate the NIP said, this includes the vaccine made by US-based pharmaceutical company Moderna Inc.

"At the moment there are other companies that have submitted (their application) to the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) for approval.

"So some of these vaccines, if they are later approved by the NPRA, and there's private sector purchase, then they can go ahead with that," he said during an online presser this afternoon.

Khairy did not specify how many companies were interested to register their vaccines in the country. He, however, mentioned Moderna and Sputnik V from Russia.

On Moderna, he said the government would leave it to the private market due to the vaccine being very expensive.

"On Sputnik V, it is still back and forth. I think NPRA is not entirely satisfied with the data points that have been provided by Duopharma, which is the local product registration holder," he added.

For the record, NPRA has so far approved vaccines made by three companies, namely Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac, and AstraZeneca.

All three vaccines are being used in the national immunisation programme, which started in February and aimed at inoculating at least 80 percent of Malaysia's adult population.

Meanwhile, when asked to clarify on Covid-19 vaccination advisory for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, Khairy said an advisory will be issued either tomorrow or Friday.

On Monday, he announced that only the Pfizer vaccine was found suitable for breastfeeding mothers and those between week 14 and week 33 of their pregnancy.

This sparked concern as some pregnant mothers were said to have taken other types of vaccines under the NIP before the advisory was issued. - Mkini