Sinovac for 12-year-old and above allowed - Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR: The administration of CoronaVac vaccine produced by Sinovac Life Sciences Co. Ltd., China, and Pharmaniaga Lifesciences Sdn Bhd , to adolescents aged 12 and above is allowed, said Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the matter was agreed at the 364th Meeting of the Drug Control Authority (DCA) held today.

"However, the DCA recommends that the use of Sinovac among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, for the moment, is given priority to adolescents without comorbidities and who have allergies or are not suitable to receive the Comirnaty vaccine.

"This is the second COVID-19 vaccine approved for use on adolescents after a similar approval was given to the Comirnaty vaccine produced by Pfizer BioNTech last June," he said in a statement today.

He said evaluation for the use of Sinovac among adolescents with comorbidities would continue once sufficient data was submitted.

Dr Noor Hisham said the vaccine was previously approved for conditional registration for use among individuals aged 18 and above.

The conditional registration approval requires information on the quality, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine product to be monitored and evaluated based on the latest data from time to time, he added.

- BERNAMA