Malaysia secures COVID-19 vaccine for 40 percent of population. Here's what you need to know

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the government signed an agreement with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for 6.4 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

This meant that the government had secured supply for 40 percent of population (12.8 million people) in 2021 through joint agreements with COVAX, Pfizer and AstraZeneca.

Here are details of the three COVID-19 vaccine purchase agreements:

1. COVAX Facility optional purchase agreement (co-led by the World Health Organization) - signed on Nov 23 to vaccinate 10 percent of population.

2. Pfizer Inc purchase agreement - signed on Nov 24, to vaccinate 20 per cent of the Malaysian population with 12.8 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Pfizer is expected to deliver the first one million doses in the first quarter of 2021, with 1.7 million, 5.8 million and 4.3 million doses to follow in subsequent quarters.

3. AstraZeneca purchase agreement – signed on Dec 21, guarantees 6.4 million doses to vaccinate 10 percent of population.

• All the vaccines to be purchased require two doses to be effective.

• Muhyiddin said the government was also finalising deals to buy vaccines developed by China-based pharmaceutical companies Sinovac and CanSino Biologics as well as the Sputnik V shot developed by Russia’s state-run Gamaleya National Center.

• “The government is also in final negotiations with Sinovac, CanSino and Gamaleya to secure a vaccine supply increase of more than 80 per cent or 26.5 million of the country’s total population,” said Muhyiddin.

• Once agreements are finalised with Sinovac, CanSino & Gamaleya, Malaysia will have vaccines to cover almost 83 percent of population or 26.5 million people.

* The government has set an initial target to vaccinate 70 percent of population in 2021.

READ MORE: Malaysia inks agreement with AstraZeneca to procure 6.4 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccine

How much would it cost?

• Today, Muhyiddin said the government will spend a total of US$504.4 million (RM2.05 billion) through all the negotiations and agreements that have been and will be signed.

• Science, technology, and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government will subsidise RM77.35 for every Malaysian through the vaccination campaign that will cover almost 82.5 percent of population or 26.5 million people.

• Earlier, the government said it would allocate RM3 billion for the vaccines, which is expected to cover at least 70 per cent of 33 million population.

READ MORE: Vaksin COVID-19: Kerajaan tanggung RM77.35 bagi setiap rakyat - Khairy

Who would get the vaccines first?

• The vaccination campaign will prioritise high-risk groups, healthcare workers, the elderly, and patients with non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases.

• Muhyiddin said will be among the first individuals to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in an effort to convince the people that the vaccine obtained by the country is safe and effective.

READ MORE: PM Muhyiddin among the first to be vaccinated against COVID-19

When can the vaccination campaign begin?

• The government expects to receive the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses in February 2021.

• Yesterday, Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) would take 90 to 120 days to decide on whether to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after receiving Pfizer’s application on December 15 for registration of its vaccine in Malaysia.