Malaysia to receive 25.6 mln doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in third quarter of year - Khairy

Speaking on the matter at the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme virtual media conference today, he said this was following an additional agreement of 12.8 million doses signed by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba with the vaccine manufacturer on May 21.

"This will see the total dose of Pfizer vaccine procured by the government increase to 44.8 million or sufficient for 70 per cent of the total population," he said.

For June, Khairy said the country would receive 2.2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with 444,600 doses to be sent every week for five weeks.

Meanwhile, he said that in Malaysia's latest discussions with Sinovac Biotech and Pharmaniaga Bhd, it had decided that all 12 million doses of the vaccine procured from the manufacturer in Beijing, China would be fully shipped in June and July. On the supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine, meanwhile, he expects to receive a total of 610,000 doses in June and 410,000 doses in July.

"However, this is subject to approval by the NPRA (National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency)," he said.

As such, he expects the target of implementing 150,000 vaccine jabs a day to begin next month, besides increasing the number of vaccination centres nationwide.

"I assure everyone who has yet to get an appointment date that they will be able to do so in the coming months. The sufficient and fast supply of vaccines will enable the immunisation programme to be carried out smoothly and swiftly," said Khairy.