Judged as unsafe and questionable efficacy, Malaysia is currently reviewing the cancellation of the purchase of a vaccine from China, namely Sinovac. This was immediately conveyed by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin in a press conference, quoted from The Star.
In addition, Jamaluddin emphasized that every vaccine procurement must obtain approval from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
“If we are not satisfied with safety and efficacy, we will not procure them. Sinovac clinical data has just been released. We will review the data and decide,” he said in a series of tweets on Wednesday (13/1/2021).
In addition, Jamaluddin responded to news reports that a Brazilian clinical trial found the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine to be 50.4% effective. Therefore, he said there must be a strategy in purchasing vaccines.
“This is why our strategy is to become a vaccine portfolio. To ensure we have sufficient supplies and to reduce regulatory and manufacturing problems,” he said.
“Buy from more than one source. Plus the fact that no manufacturer can supply all our needs. Same for most countries.”
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