Halal vaccines soon

Star: PUTRAJAYA: A special paper on the use and certification of halal vaccines at public hospitals will be presented to the Cabinet soon.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said both the Health Ministry and biotechnology firm National Institute for Natural Products, Vaccines and Biologicals (9BIO) would collaborate on the paper.
He was speaking to reporters after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz and 9BIO chairman Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat here yesterday.
The MoU will see 9BIO forming a team with Jakim to visit sites producing vaccines to certify its halal status.
At present, most of the vaccines in the country are imported and are not certified by Jakim.
Earlier, 9BIO chief executive officer Datuk Dr Nor Shahidah Khairullah said the company aimed to produce its own vaccines within two years once its factory in Enstek City was completed.
“Among the vaccines targeted for halal certification are those for children, such as polio and flu, and that for cervical cancer against the human papillomavirus,” she said.
Wan Mohamad said the MoU would help Malaysia and other Islamic countries in the production of halal vaccines.
“We hope that this will make Malaysia the reference and research centre for halal vaccine production in the future,” he added.