RESEARCH on the country’s Covid-19 vaccine is still in the proof of concept stage, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Ahmad Amzad Hashim said as for the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine, the candidate vaccine would undergo an in-vitro transcription process, involving various laboratory tests.

On the inactivated vaccine research, he said the process of inactivating selected viruses would be done and special substances such as adjuvants would be added to enhance the immune response.

He was replying to a question from Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PAS-Kuala Krai) on the current status of the locally developed mRNA vaccine and about the RM5 million allocation given to Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Malaya (UM) for vaccine research and development.

Amzad said research on the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine was carried out by researchers at the Institute of Medical Research (IMR), while studies related to the development of inactivated virus vaccine technology were being conducted by IMR with the cooperation of experts from UPM and the Veterinary Research Institute. – Bernama, December 13, 2021.