Malaysia to finalise COVID-19 vaccine selection by early 2021 - Khairy

KUALA LUMPUR:The government is expected to be able to decide on the COVID-19 vaccine by early next year, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said this being that the data from several COVID-19 vaccine clinical tests would be analysed at the end of this year.

He said the ministry was currently discussing with the Health Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Attorney General’s Chamber on the legal implication and procurement model for the vaccine.

“We are also in direct discussion with other international pharmaceutical companies for direct supply without having to undergo the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) allocation plan.

“I have also requested for an agreement with China to be finalised as soon as possible as the draft is almost completed,” he said after launching the first wireless mobile phone charger in Malaysia known as METT (Malaysian Energy Transmission Technology).

Khairy said that the negotiation with COVAX on Malaysia’s participation in the facility to obtain the required COVID-19 vaccine was ongoing.

“We are still discussing some matters with COVAX. The facility is for early purchase, so the procurement model is quite extraordinary. We pay for something that still doesn’t exist,” he said.

Among the companies that had started the final COVID-19 vaccine clinical test are Moderna, Pfizer and BioNtech, AstraZeneca, University of Oxford and Johnson & Johnson.

-- BERNAMA