A panel of health experts on Thursday unanimously agreed that the locally-produced Medigen COVID-19 vaccine was effective in providing protection against severe illness and death from the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
The vaccine received a 14-0 vote of support, following a review of its effectiveness assessment report that day, Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a statement.
The COVID-19 vaccine produced by pharmaceutical firm Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp. was granted emergency use authorization (EUA) by the FDA in July 2021, with the requirement that it produce a report on the vaccine’s effectiveness by July this year.
According to the FDA, Medigen was later asked to also provide additional information on its vaccine, such as the clinical data on its effectiveness in protecting against severe illness and death, especially for the elderly.
Wu Ming-mei (吳明美), deputy head of the FDA’s Medical Products Division, told CNA the supplementary information was submitted by the pharmaceutical firm on Oct. 28, before the Oct. 30 deadline.
Wu added that the FDA is now hoping that the company will be able to provide another report after completion of the Solidarity Trial Vaccines by the World Health Organization (WHO), which had selected Medigen as one of its vaccine candidates.
The WHO’s trial is designed to rapidly evaluate the efficacy and safety of promising new candidate vaccines selected by an independent vaccine prioritization advisory group.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel
