KUALA LUMPUR – There is no shortcut for any Covid-19 vaccine to enter the Malaysian market as all such inoculations are subject to strict conditions to ensure they are safe, effective and of quality.
Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS) president Amrahi Buang said Covid-19 vaccines registered in other countries must also be approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) before being brought into the country.
He said the Covid-19 vaccines have to go through a process similar to those required for other vaccines that have entered the Malaysian market.
“This means that the vaccine will go through the pre-clinical phases I, II, III and after it has been registered in Malaysia, it will enter the next phase.
“When there is a (new) vaccine in Malaysia, it must meet three main conditions, namely it is safe, effective and of quality.
“This is what we want Malaysians to know, so there is no need to worry,” he said in the Bernama TV programme Koresponden today.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin launched the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Handbook and announced that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is expected to arrive in Malaysia this Sunday for the National Covid-19 Immunisation programme to start on February 26.
On whether Muslims can get the Covid-19 vaccine, Amrahi said the matter has been explained by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.
The minister had previously said a special meeting of the Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs last December 3 had decided that the use of the Covid-19 vaccine is permissible (harus) and obligatory (wajib) for groups identified by the government.
Amrahi said the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine does not contain any ingredients from animal sources.
“Therefore, we can assume that this vaccine is a halal product. Likewise, the Sinovac vaccine developed by a Chinese pharmaceutical company... has been used in Indonesia and was declared halal by the Indonesian Ulama Council after conducting a study to ensure that the vaccine does not contain prohibited substances.” – Bernama, February 16, 2021
