KUALA LUMPUR: The “fill and finish” production of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines by Pharmaniaga Life Science Sdn Bhd at its plant in Puchong near here is of equal quality to the ones manufactured at the Sinovac Biotech Ltd’s factory in Beijing.
National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the vaccines here went through stringent processes and procedures as required by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) before they are distributed to vaccination centres (PPV) around the country.
The science, technology and innovation minister said the filled and finished Sinovac vaccine must undergo product process validation and stability testing that could take up to 10 weeks before it is approved as the final product.
Apart from passing multiple tests, he said, data and reports needed to be submitted by the NPRA before the vaccines are approved as the final product.
“Therefore, I want to deny and refute claims that the finished product from Pharmaniaga is of inferior quality to the one that comes out from the Sinovac factory in China. This allegation is most irresponsible,” he said at the weekly press conference of the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force.
Khairy also warned that parties found spreading such claims would face the full force of the law.
The press conference was also attended by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.-NST