PUTRAJAYA: The ceiling price and sales guidelines for the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine by private parties beginning this August has been set, says National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said the Special Committee on COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) would meet next week and discuss the matter.

"The ceiling price is to ensure that the vaccine is not sold at too high a price," he said during a joint press conference with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba here today.

Khairy added that Pharmaniaga Bhd had completed suppplying Sinovac vaccines to the Federal Government under PICK.

"The supply has been fully delivered to the Federal government, and that is why Sinovac will be given in less quantities under PICK," he said.

According to Pharmaniaga, it supplied 12 million Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine doses to the government under PICK and the last batch was supplied on July 21, about four and a half months earlier than specified under the contract.

The contract was for Pharmaniaga to supply the vaccines through the fill and finish method over seven months by the end of November 2021.

Khairy said as agreed earlier, the sales of vaccines would be open to the private sector once the Federal government had sufficient stock.

He added that Pharmaniaga would sell the Sinovac vaccine in the private market beginning in August.

-- BERNAMA