Almost 560,000 doses of AstraZeneca jab shipped by Covax land in M’sia

KUALA LUMPUR – Some 559,200 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Malaysia today, shipped via the Covax facility.

The shipment follows the April 21 delivery of 268,800 doses to Kuala Lumpur.

In total, the country has received 828,000 doses of the expected 1,387,200 from AstraZeneca provided by Covax.

“We are excited to see the second shipment of the Covid-19 vaccines as part of the Covax facility arriving in Malaysia this morning. We are very happy with this close partnership with the government of Malaysia and relevant ministries for the opportunity to reach families and communities with life-saving vaccines,” said Dr Rashed Mustafa Sarwar, Unicef representative to Malaysia and Special representative to Brunei.

“This is another contribution to the government’s effort to safeguard the lives of citizens and non-citizens in Malaysia. Our partnership will continue, and we will overcome this pandemic together.”

Dr Lo Ying-Ru Jacqueline, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore, said: “The arrival of vaccines through Covax is timely, as with the current surge in cases, we must take every opportunity available to vaccinate as many people as possible, and reduce hospitalisation and deaths. 

“Priority should be given to those who need it most – senior citizens and people with other underlying health conditions. WHO and its partners are working to ensure that more and different types of vaccines are made available through Covax, and we encourage people in Malaysia to register for vaccination while continuing to be vigilant, as that is our best chance to stay healthy and be protected against Covid-19.”

Malaysia will open its second AstraZeneca jab opt-in programme at 12pm on Sunday to residents of the Klang Valley, Penang, Johor, Kuching and Miri aged above 60. – The Vibes, May 21, 2021