CanSino, Johnson & Johnson vaccines approved for conditional use in M'sia
Covid-19 vaccines from China’s CanSino Biologics and the US’ Johnson & Johnson, both of which only require one dose to be effective, have been given conditional approval for use in Malaysia, said Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
The Drug Control Authority (DCA), in its meeting today, also approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for children as young as 12 years old, he added...
Covid-19 vaccines from China’s CanSino Biologics and the US’ Johnson & Johnson, both of which only require one dose to be effective, have been given conditional approval for use in Malaysia, said Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
The Drug Control Authority (DCA) also approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for children as young as 12 years old, he added.
“The DCA had its 359th meeting today. The meeting agreed to give conditional approval for usage during a disaster for two vaccines that only require one dose, that is the vaccine from CanSino and Johnson & Johnson.
“Aside from that, the DCA has also approved the usage of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to those aged 12 and above,” Noor Hisham said in a statement today.
Previously, the Pfizer vaccine was only approved in Malaysia for those aged 18 and above.
However, Noor Hisham said vaccination priority will still be given to high-risk individuals set under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP).
He explained that the conditional approval given to CanSino and Johnson & Johnson vaccines requires current data on the vaccine’s quality, safety and efficacy to be monitored and reviewed from time to time.
This is to ensure the benefit over the risk of the vaccines remains positive, he said.
Malaysia will be receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses through the Covax international vaccine-sharing facility.
This came after US President Joe Biden announced on June 4 that his government will share 25 million surplus Covid-19 vaccine doses with the world.
Of that figure, 19 million will be donated through Covax, with about seven million of the doses going to South and Southeast Asia.
It was reported that Malaysia started receiving 3.5 million doses of the CanSino vaccine, in stages, in April.
At the time, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said the delivery was to consist of the finished product of 500,000 doses whereas the rest will be delivered in bulk to be filled and packaged by a local company.
Meanwhile, CanSino has struck a partnership with local firm Solutions Biologics, similar to the one between Sinovac and government-linked company Pharmaniaga, where the latter would purchase the vaccines in bulk then fill-and-finish it into smaller bottles.
Adham also previously said in April that the CanSino vaccine would be used mainly in rural areas or areas where it was difficult for recipients to receive double injections.
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