KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — Malaysia will adopt the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations for the country’s eventual Covid-19 vaccine rollout, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said.
He was responding to Malay Mail’s question on whether a Covid-19 vaccine will be made mandatory once readily available.
“The vaccine will be given according to recommendations made by WHO,” Dr Adham said when contacted.
However, Dr Adham said that the government has not yet decided if it would make vaccinations — for Covid-19 or other diseases — mandatory.
Malaysia has seen a growing anti-vaccination movement that has led to the re-emergence of diseases previously thought eradicated here, such as polio.
“On mandatory vaccination, a special committee will be conducting a review session with stakeholders,” he said, adding that the government was now using an educational approach to vaccines.
In January, the Malaysian Public Health Physicians’ Association (PPPKAM) urged the government to take legal action against the anti-vaccination groups for spreading false information related to vaccines and immunisation, Bernama reported.
Its president Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar was quoted as saying that with the implementation of legal action, it would reduce the spread of misinformation about vaccination activities that raised fears and concerns among the public.
On Wednesday, Science, Technology and Innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that he would recommend to the Cabinet that Covid-19 vaccine be provided for free to all Malaysians, Bernama reported.
“The Cabinet has not decided yet, but my recommendation is that once we have purchased the Covid-19 vaccine, they should be given to all Malaysians free of charge,” he reportedly told a press conference, after the launch of the National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS).
Apart from China, Khairy was reported saying that Malaysia was also looking at other vaccine manufacturers that could produce a safe and effective vaccine fast and at a reasonable cost.
Khairy said that his ministry had been assigned by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to negotiate directly with the vaccine manufacturers so that Malaysia could purchase them at the best possible price.
Khairy also reportedly expressed concern over equitable access to the vaccine especially for developing countries like Malaysia, saying that big pharmaceutical companies tend to lock in sales for large countries.
