Malaysia approves clinical trial of inactivated vaccine made by China

FILE PHOTO: A medical worker draws a dose of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine into a syringe during a vaccination campaign in Putrajaya, Malaysia. /VCG

Malaysia on Saturday announced that it had approved the Phase-III clinical trial of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's BioKangtai.

The news is welcome for the southeast Asian nation as it grapples with high daily COVID-19 cases and deaths, with the government warning the outbreak may be linked to more contagious variants.

There are also concerns about a growing number of coronavirus deaths and serious cases involving children.

The surge prompted Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to declare a two-week "total lockdown" from June 1-14.

Malaysia has one of the highest caseload numbers in the region behind Indonesia and the Philippines.

The government may consider making vaccination compulsory to achieve a target of vaccinating 80 percent of Malaysia's 32 million people and legal action may be taken against anti-vaxxers, according to state newswire Bernama, which cited the prime minister.

Malaysia has reported more than 603,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.

(With input from agencies)