NPRA's conditional approval for AstraZeneca vaccine 'very convincing'

 

COVID-19 | Health Minister Dr Adham Baba assured that the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency’s (NPRA) conditional approval for the AstraZeneca vaccine is “very convincing” and the agency's utmost priority is safety.

This came after reports of health issues purportedly related to the British vaccine emerged.

“Our stand is that every vaccine we bring in has to go through the NPRA.

“Even though conditional approval was given to AstraZeneca and Sinovac, we are still monitoring the safety of the vaccines. Our utmost concern is safety.

“The conditional approval given by the NPRA is very convincing and we will continue administering vaccines that have received conditional approval from the NPRA,” Adham said.

He was speaking at a joint press conference with Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin on the progress of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

Earlier, there were Austrian reports about a woman who died due to severe coagulation disorders after receiving an AstraZeneca vaccine shot and another who developed a pulmonary embolism after she was inoculated.

Authorities in Austria had said that there was currently no evidence of a causal relationship between those vaccinations and the health disorders.

At the press conference today, Adham also revealed that the government had decided to involve general practitioners from the private sector in the immunisation programme.

“This will maximise and broaden the access of vaccines to the rakyat,” he said.

The general practitioners will be involved in Phase 2, starting in April, as well as Phase 3 in May.

Adham said the Health Ministry had appointed ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd to implement this scheme under the vaccination programme.

ProtectHealth was incorporated in 2016 and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ProtectHealth Malaysia which was established under the Health Ministry.

General practitioners who are interested to be part of the immunisation programme in Phase 2 and 3 can register through the ProtectHealth website starting March 9, Adham said.

The minister also reminded those who have yet to receive both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine will still have to abide by the “new normal” rules, including quarantining for a period of time after travelling. - Mkini