The Director-General of Health, Tan Sri Noor Hisham announced that the Ministry of Health has conditionally approved Sinopharm’s COVILO Covid-19 vaccine as a booster.
He said in a statement today that people between the ages of 18 and 59 who have been vaccinated for at least 3 to 6 months after the second dose of the vaccine can be vaccinated.
On July 16, 2021, the Ministry of Health has conditionally approved the Sinopharm vaccine for groups aged 18 to 59.
Noor Hisham said the decision was made at the 371st meeting of the Medicines Regulatory Authority of the Ministry of Health today.
He said the Pharmacy Regulatory Authority of Malaysia will continue to monitor the vaccine-related clinical data, general safety and efficacy to ensure that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks.
In addition, he said that the Ministry of Health has also conditionally approved the use of some drugs for the treatment of the coronavirus disease at this meeting, but this is not a substitute for vaccination and public health measures, especially in respect of compliance with standard operating procedures.
He noted that this includes the oral Covid-19 drug Molnupiravir, which is used to treat adults with mild to moderate symptoms who have at least one risk factor that may worsen to severe symptoms.
The rheumatoid arthritis drug Baricitinib is used to treat adults admitted to the hospital, as well as children over the age of 10 who need respiratory assistance.
The Ministry of Health has also approved the use of the immunosuppressive drug Tocilizumab, which requires injection, for adults who require admission to the hospital for cortisol hormone therapy and respiratory assistance.
