Warning against Covid-19 vaccines offered unofficially

PUTRAJAYA: Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has cautioned the public to be wary when approached by those claiming to be able to provide them with a Covid-19 vaccine.

He said that as the government via the Science, Innovation and Technology Ministry (Mosti) and Health Ministry have already rolled out the National Covid-19 Immunisation Plan, only those two bodies can determine how the vaccination process will work out.

“Even we (government figures) have been approached by such agents or companies recently, who say they can procure the vaccine for us,” Ismail said during his press conference.

The minister advised the public to contact either Mosti or the Health Ministry for more information when confronted by this situation, as the ministries can better inform them.

“If you have any doubts, ask the ministries. I hope the public will not be duped by such claims, that these third-party agents or companies have been authorised by us to provide vaccinations,” he said.

Ismail was responding to a query over the recent instances of supposed Covid-19 vaccines being sold on online shopping platforms such as Lazada and Shopee, and how would the authorities respond if proven to be true.

The government's MySejahtera app, originally intended to track individual movements and trace potential Covid-19 breakouts, was recently updated with a new section for vaccine registration ahead of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Plan.

The plan's first phase which began on February 26 to April will cover medical frontliners alongside those in essential services and security.

The second phase of the vaccination programme from April to August will cover those in high-risk groups while the final phase for the general population will commence in May.