KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 — The Covid-19 vaccination consent form leaked online yesterday is not the final document to be used, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah clarified today.

Yesterday, news outlets began reporting on the form after it was hosted on several government websites, prompting the Health Ministry to brand the form as "fake news”.

Dr Noor Hisham did not address the matter today, only saying that a consent form was necessary as Covid-19 vaccination in Malaysia is voluntary.

"Consent forms are also used in other countries implementing Covid-19 immunisation programmes. Vaccination is opt-in, whereby the recipients who agree to receiving the vaccine must sign these forms.

"The contents of the forms are also to ensure that the vaccine recipient fully understands what they have read or been informed of by health personnel about the benefits and risks of vaccination,” he said in a statement today.

Dr Noor Hisham reiterated that all vaccines approved for deployment in Malaysia have been evaluated for quality, effectiveness, and safety.

Yesterday, the form caused controversy in online circles due to the indemnification clause and caveats contained.

After news of the form emerged, the Health Ministry issued a statement calling it "fake news”.

News of the form also coincided with the government confirming that Malaysians will not be allowed to choose which Covid-19 vaccine they will receive.

Malaysia has secured five different Covid-19 vaccines —  Pfizer-Biontech, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, CanSinoBIO, and Sputnik V — and is still in discussion to add others to its portfolio.

The Covid-19 National Immunisation Programme will begin on Sunday with the arrival of the Pfizer-Biontech vaccines and will continue throughout the year and into 2022.