KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Another million doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine arriving in Malaysia this month will also be made available to the public via opt-in registrations, Khairy Jamaluddin said.

The Star today reported the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister as reiterating this during a visit to the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre vaccination centre today, adding that an official statement would be released next week.

"We will receive a million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine within this month. We will open the opt-in registration for people in Klang Valley and other states.

"People need not worry and we will make the announcement next week,” he was quoted as saying.

Khairy had also reportedly urged people without vaccination appointments not to "try their luck” and show up at vaccination centres as the vaccines would only be given strictly by appointment.

He also reportedly asked those with appointments to not arrive too early — saying that being 15 to 30 minutes early would be enough — also to avoid crowding up the vaccination centres.

Previously, on May 2, some 260,000 slots were made available to Klang Valley residents who wanted to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. 

Slots were fully booked within hours after registration opened. 

The divergent AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine programme was announced by Khairy last month after concerns emerged that the European-made vaccine can cause dangerous side effects — although the World Health Organization has assured people that taking the vaccine is much safer than risking death from Covid-19.