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Malaysia to stop using Sinovac vaccine after supply ends - minister

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Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/reuters/02/28/20210228-sinovac-covid-vaccine-arrival-rtr-2.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Boxes of Sinovac Biotech&#x27;s CoronaVac vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) arrive in a Chinese military aircraft at Villamor Air Base in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, February 28, 2021. Eloisa Lopez, Reuters</figcaption></figure></div><p><br/>KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia&#x27;s health ministry on Thursday said the country will stop administering the COVID-19 vaccine produced by China&#x27;s Sinovac once its supplies end, as it has a sufficient number of other vaccines for its program.</p><p>Malaysia&#x27;s inoculation drive will be largely anchored by the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine moving forward, health minister Adham Baba told a news conference with other top ministry officials.</p><p>The Southeast Asian country has secured about 45 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, enough to cover 70% of the population, compared to 16 million doses of Sinovac&#x27;s shot, the officials said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/01/12/21/sinovacs-vaccine-efficacy-less-than-60pct-in-brazil-trial-report">READ: Sinovac&#x27;s vaccine efficacy less than 60pct in Brazil trial -report</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/28/21/fast-facts-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-sinovac-vaccine">READ: FAST FACTS: What you need to know about the Sinovac vaccine</a></li></ul><p>&quot;About half of the 16 million have already been distributed, so the rest will be used to cover second doses,&quot; Adham said.</p><p>&quot;For those who have yet to be vaccinated, they will receive the Pfizer vaccine.&quot;</p><p>The government had previously said it had secured 12 million Sinovac doses, as part of a deal which would see state-linked firm Pharmaniaga carrying out a fill-and-finish process on the vaccine for local distribution.</p><p>The announcement to stop using Sinovac&#x27;s inactivated virus vaccine comes amid increasing concern over its efficacy against new and more contagious variants of the coronavirus.</p><p>Neighboring Thailand this week said it would use the AstraZeneca vaccine as a second dose for those who received the Sinovac shot, while Indonesia is considering a booster shot for those who received the two-dose Sinovac course.</p><p>Other vaccines approved in Malaysia include those of AstraZeneca, China&#x27;s CanSino Biologic, and the Janssen vaccine of Johnson &amp; Johnson.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/14/21/more-sinovac-vaccines-arrive-in-philippines">More Sinovac vaccines arrive in Philippines</a></li></ul><p>Malaysia also plans on Friday to announce its decision on whether to add the vaccine of China&#x27;s Sinopharm, officials said.</p><p>With 880,782 cases and 6,613 deaths so far, Malaysia has one of Southeast Asia&#x27;s highest per-capita infection rates, but also one of its highest inoculation rates, with about 26% of its 32 million population receiving at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.</p><div><strong>(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Martin Petty)</strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1709003" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Malaysia's inoculation drive will be largely anchored by the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine moving forward, health minister Adham Baba told a news conference with other top ministry officials.<br /> </p>

Malaysia's inoculation drive will be largely anchored by the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine moving forward, health minister Adham Baba told a news conference with other top ministry officials.