Health Ministry Approves Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine For 12YO And Above
The vaccine was previously only approved for those aged 18 and above.
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The Moderna mRNA Covid-19 vaccine will be made available for those 12 years old and above reported New Straits Times.
This, according to the Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah was decided during the 375th Drug Control Authority (DCA) meeting yesterday.
The report states that the Spikevax vaccine, made by Spain’s Rovi Pharma Industrial Services, was previously only approved for those aged 18 and above.
“To date, the DCA has approved the use of Comirnaty, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech as well as Coronovac, manufactured by Sinovac Life Science Co Ltd of China and Pharmaniaga Lifescience Sdn Bhd, Malaysia, for individuals aged 12 and above,” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham added that the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency would continue to evaluate the quality, safety and effectiveness of vaccines to ensure that their benefits outweigh the risks.
Meanwhile, it was reported that only 1.76 million or 49.8% of children aged between five and 11 in the country have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
“It’s been almost six months since we launched the Covid-19 vaccine programme for children, the staff are doing a good job, the response and cooperation from state governments are also good, and the response from private clinics is also encouraging.
“But the arms are not there,” he was quoted as saying by The Star.
He also added that there are still 926 private premises that provide vaccination facilities and 14 off-site vaccination centres that provide vaccination for children.
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