KUALA LUMPUR – The AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine supply to Malaysia may be delayed due to a possible snag linked to a plant in Thailand.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Malaysia is due to receive 610,000 doses from Thailand this month, and 1.6 million later this year.
However, he did not specify how long the delay is going to be or how many shipments it will affect.
The delay will also be felt by Taiwan, which ordered the vaccine from Siam Bioscience – a company owned by the Thai monarch, reported Reuters.
Taiwan Health Minister Chen Shih-chung yesterday said their AstraZeneca order will be delayed by a month due to production problems at the plant.
Taiwan ordered 10 million shots directly from the company, but has so far received only slightly more than 100,000 doses.
The royal-owned company is supposed to supply 200 million doses.
However, questions on the company’s production targets are deemed sensitive as insulting Thailand’s monarchy is a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison. – The Vibes, June 9, 2021
