Access to vaccines in Q1 next year
RM3b allocation under Budget 2021 will cover Covid drug for 70% of population
KUALA LUMPUR: The public will have access to the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines in the first quarter of next year, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said a RM3 billion allocation under Budget 2021 will cover 70% of the population for Covid-19 immunisation.
“The RM3 billion is subject to change as the price of vaccine to be procured is still in negotiation and discussion stages,” he said during the Budget winding-up debate yesterday.
“The 70% population targetted to receive Covid-19 vaccination was derived from the formula on herd immunity.
“Most of the Covid-19 vaccines that are being developed have yet to be tested on children under 12. This group will not receive the vaccination during the first stage. We will focus on adults to achieve this target.”
He added that the estimated number of people getting the vaccination is based on the average price of the vaccine as well as the fair procurement percentage for each type of vaccine from pharmaceutical companies.
“An independent Covid-19 vaccine evaluation committee has been established, with epidemiologist Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud as its chairman, in line with the government’s efforts to engage various stakeholders,” Khairy said in reply to a question by Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH-Kuala Selangor).
He said the nine-member committee comprised specialists from various fields that included virology, infectious diseases and pharmaceutical economics.
The National Science Council has also agreed to develop a national vaccine development roadmap.
Khairy said the objective of the roadmap, which will be ready by the second quarter of next year, is to ensure Malaysia is able to produce vaccines for humans in 10 years as the country currently does not have such facilities.
“The ministry is also offering a new fund scheme, called Mosti Combating Covid-19 Fund (MCCOF), to encourage research and development, commercialisation and innovation in fighting and containing the pandemic.
Khairy said the ministry hopes MCCOF will be a platform to create local vaccines and reduce dependency from abroad.
To this end, a RM2.1 million project under the fund has been approved for Universiti Malaya to develop Covid-19 vaccine, he added.
He added that during negotiations made to procure vaccines from countries or pharmaceutical companies, the government included discussions on the transfer of technology and expertise, adding that the collaboration agreement between Malaysia and China signed last week saw the strengthening of cooperation in vaccine research and development.
He said his discussions with Russian representatives were also similarly conducted.