KUALA LUMPUR – The Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine has been approved for use on children aged 12 and up.
In a statement today, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said it is the second jab approved for use on teenagers after the green light given to Pfizer-BioNTech in June.
He said the Drug Control Authority has recommended that Sinovac be prioritised for adolescents aged 12 to 17 who do not have comorbidities or allergies, and those ruled out from receiving the Pfizer shot.
The use of Sinovac on teens with comorbidities will be evaluated once sufficient data is provided.
“The conditional approval requires information on the quality, safety and efficacy of the vaccine, to be monitored and evaluated based on the latest data from time to time,” said Dr Noor Hisham.
“It is to ensure a positive benefit over risks.”
The Sinovac vaccine, also known as CoronaVac, is manufactured by China’s Sinovac Life Sciences Co Ltd and bottled in Malaysia by Pharmaniaga Lifescience Sdn Bhd.
The vaccination drive for adolescents targets some 3.2 million individuals aged 12 to 17. It is being implemented ahead of schools’ reopening this month.
As of yesterday, 1,498,274 teens were partially vaccinated, and 52,774 fully immunised. – The Vibes, October 1, 2021
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