KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is developing methods to administer a Covid-19 vaccine orally or through a nasal spray as part of the National Vaccine Development Roadmap (PPVN), says Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim.

       He said the different methods of administering the vaccine were being studied because there are people who are afraid of needles, adding that this might prevent them from getting a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

       "Therefore, among the methods that are being developed is to administer the vaccine orally or throgh using nasal spray,” he said in response to a supplementary question from Wong Kah Woh (PH-Ipoh Timur) during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

       Ahmad Amzad explained that PPVN would not be focusing solely on the production of a Covid-19 vaccine, but also the development of other vaccines for humans.

       He said currently, Malaysia only has the capacity to produce vaccines for animals.

       On the local vaccine candidates, Ahmad Amzad said there were some that had passed the pre-clinical phase and would be tested on humans.

       "InsyaAllah, based on the research that has been carried out, we will have our first Covid-19 vaccine candidate in 2024,” he said. - Bernama