KUALA LUMPUR – Getting the Covid-19 vaccination abroad is not an “immunity passport”, at least not yet, said Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
The health director-general said such a decision to allow travel will take at least another four to six months, to see the outcome of inoculation programmes.
“At the moment, it’s not an immunity passport, meaning if you are (already) vaccinated, you can travel anywhere. No, it’s not an immunity passport yet,” he told his daily press conference today.
Dr Noor Hisham was asked whether the Health Ministry has decided who will first receive the vaccine in the country, and whether Malaysians who have been vaccinated in Singapore are allowed to return home.
He said a committee is looking at the order of priority, but frontliners and healthcare workers, including those from non-ministry agencies, will be first on the list.
“Then, we will move on to those with comorbidities, for example. Our strategy is being discussed,” he said, adding that the matter will be made known in the coming weeks.
So far, he said, the ministry’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), which is tasked with approving vaccines and other drugs, has received vaccine dossiers from only one company.
“So, we’re looking into safety, efficacy, etc.
“We expect the approval to come at the end of February, and to start vaccination in March, depending on how fast the companies respond to the questions and issues raised by NPRA.
“We’re waiting for the response from the companies, and then, we will proceed from there.”
Last month, when announcing Malaysia’s vaccine deal with AstraZeneca, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he will be among the first to get the Covid-19 jab, in a bid to allay public concerns over its safety and efficacy.
He also said Malaysians can expect vaccines to be available as early as next month.
In recent weeks, several high-profile Malaysians have gotten the Covid-19 shot overseas, among them United Kingdom-based surgeon Dr Nur Amalina Che Bakri and singer-actress Sasha Mohd Saidin.– The Vibes, January 4, 2021
