Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for children is safe - Pharmaniaga

Pharmaniaga Bhd in a statement today said the Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) analysis of 63 million vaccinations suggested that the Sinovac vaccine has an overall good safety profile amongst the child population and the data collected were mainly routine injection site events with normal symptoms.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today announced that the Drug Control Authority (DCA) has approved the use of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for children and adolescents.

Meanwhile, Pharmaniaga Bhd group managing director, Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope said the vaccine has been widely administered to the younger population aged 12 to 17 years in China and to date, there is no record on any safety risk information of AEFI related to the vaccination.

According to the statement, the vaccine will be made available at selected private hospitals and clinics very soon as an option for parents, adding that the normal symptoms include dizziness and nausea, which are very mild.

"The Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine is developed using inactivated virus which is a well-established technology of more than 40 years that is also being used commonly in many types of vaccine currently available in the market including for polio, Hepatitis A and rabies," it said.

Last Friday, Dr Noor Hisham said the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents aged 12 and above was allowed as agreed at the 364th Meeting of the DCA.