( Source : New Straits Times )
By Ayisy Yusof

KUALA LUMPUR: More companies should be allowed to supply and distribute Covid-19 vaccines, analysts said.

They called on increasing the availability and diversity of the national vaccination programme through private options as opposed to rely on government undertakings.

Public Investment Bank Bhd head of research Ching Weng Jin and Malacca Securities Sdn Bhd head of research Loui Low said the government should consider allowing more players with effective Covid-19 vaccination to be involved in the supply and distribution.
 

''This pandemic is going to be an issue for a while, so the more hands on deck, the better,'' said Ching when contacted.

It was reported that Malaysia had signed deals to buy 18.4 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines through Pharmaniaga Bhd and Duopharma Biotech Bhd.
 

In separate announcements on January 27, Pharmaniaga said it would be supplying 12 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines developed by China's Sinovac Life Sciences Co Ltd, while Duopharma said it would supply 6.4 million doses of Sputnik V developed by Russia's Gamaleya Research Institute to the government.

Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd economist Adam Mohamed Rahim said the government should encourage more players to partake in the programme to boost confidence among Malaysians.

''There could be a possibility that some people choose to delay vaccination until it is proven effective, prolonging the period to achieve herd immunity.

''The longer it is to reach herd immunity, the longer it takes for business sentiment to brighten up,'' he told the New Straits Times.

OANDA senior market analyst for Asia Pacific Jeffrey Halley said the government had to be organised in distributing the vaccines so that those that needed it the most receive theirs.

''Under the current scenario, untested and approved vaccines will potentially be distributed chaotically across the country.''

CSG-CIMB head of research Ivy Ng said allowing more players to distribute would be good, provided those vaccines were approved and with proper quality and pricing control.

Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy chief executive officer Azrul Mohd Khalid said any vaccine for use in humans in Malaysia must be approved by NPRA under the MoH. 

''As part of that approval process, like any other regulatory similar agency such as the European Medicines Agency, a candidate vaccine must have successfully completed its clinical trials, especially Phase III which looks at efficacy and safety.

''No human vaccine can be approved and licenced without successfully going through Phase III,'' he said.

He said there was no reason for the vaccine to not be approved and licenced for use in Malaysia if a company had successfully gone through the trials elsewhere and had robust data demonstrating high levels of safety and efficacy, and the necessary scrutiny showing high quality of production.

''Achieving herd immunity is not dependent on the diversity of vaccines that you have in the market. It depends on the efficacy, safety and quality of the vaccine, and coverage and uptake of the vaccination programme,'' he said.

''It is necessary for regulators to ensure that not every Tom, Dick and Harry is able to import and distribute vaccines. The companies involved must be credible and have a track record in healthcare,'' Azrul added.

 

Published : 22-Feb-2021