KUALA LUMPUR – The National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), which is responsible for approving Covid-19 vaccines for use in Malaysia, is known among producers as being highly particular when it comes to ensuring safety.
Khairy Jamaluddin, coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, said the agency has been described as “the most meticulous” by vaccine companies.
“I’m the one negotiating with these companies. They came back to me and said, ‘Your NPRA is the most unbending, the strictest in the world’… They (NPRA) don’t ask one or two questions, and according to the Russians, they asked 300 questions at one go, including the technical aspects,” he told a discussion, titled “Covid-19 Vaccine: To Take or Not to Take”, streamed live on the Malaysian Muslim Consumers’ Association Facebook page yesterday.
He said NPRA is an independent body that does not take orders from politicians, such as on expediting the vaccine approval process.
The agency is serious when it comes to people’s right to life and health, he said.
“NPRA will not approve or allow any pharmaceutical products to enter the country if they are not satisfied with two things, namely efficacy and safety.
“So, just accept whatever vaccines that have been approved by NPRA, because they are safe and effective.”
The country last Sunday received 312,390 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab from Singapore, which is the Covid-19 vaccine distribution hub for Asia-Pacific countries.
The Sinovac vaccine is expected to arrive in Malaysia from Beijing, China, today.
On February 16, the prime minister announced that all MPs and assemblymen, regardless of political persuasion, will receive the Covid-19 vaccines in the phase 1.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this was agreed on by the Special Committee of Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV), seeing that MPs and assemblymen are usually in contact with the people in the course of their work. – Bernama, February 27, 2021
.jpg)
.jpg)
