Pharmaniaga to manage logistics, distribution of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

KUALA LUMPUR: Pharmaniaga Logistics Sdn Bhd (PLSB) will manage the logistics and distribution of more than eight million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines at its four warehouses located in Selangor, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak.

Pharmaniaga group managing director Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope said its wholly-owned subsidiary PLSB was chosen in an open tender by the Ministry of Health as PLSB has the infrastructure, facilities and capabilities with more than 26 years of proven track record in handling vaccines.

"We have earlier handled 828,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from COVAX Facility and on 1st of July, received 1 million doses donated by the Government of Japan to Malaysia.

"All these vaccines are stored in our Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certified warehouses that have pharmaceutical-grade cold chain facilities that are able to maintain a temperature between two and eight degrees Celsius," he said in a statement today.

He said the vaccines will be sent out to Vaccine Storage Centres and Vaccine Distribution Centres nationwide as instructed by MOH to support the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).

This includes AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines received via AstraZeneca, COVAX Facility and also donations by foreign governments.

Yesterday, Pharmaniaga Berhad received the first batch of 586,700 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines shipped from Siam Bioscience Co Ltd, Thailand for the government under PICK.

The vaccines were handed over to Health Minister Datuk Seri Adham Baba by AstraZeneca Malaysia country president Dr Sanjeev Pachal at Pharmaniaga's warehouse in Shah Alam.

-- BERNAMA