KUALA LUMPUR – The government is planning to seek clarification from the European Union (EU) through its ambassador here, and with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca following the EU’s recent policy announcement against the multinational vaccine producer.
“Firstly, I am planning to engage the EU’s ambassador to Malaysia to get better clarity of the actual immigration policy stemming from the announcement.
“Secondly, we will also engage AstraZeneca to inform the EU that the formulation used to manufacture their vaccines at all their sites is the same and that all their sites practice good manufacturing.
“So there is absolutely no reason for the EU to discriminate one AstraZeneca facility from another. This is something I will ask AstraZeneca to raise with the EU,” said Khairy Jamaluddin.
The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister said Malaysia’s representative to the EU will also convey to the message to them that the EU should expand their recognition to all vaccines that have secured emergency use listing under the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“That would be the fairest outcome in terms of recognition of vaccines for travelers. As long as the vaccine has been listed by the WHO, that country should accept travelers using those vaccines,” he added.
Khairy’s response comes after reports the EU does not recognise Covishield, the name of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produced in India, because the manufacturer, Serum Institute of India, has yet to apply for the EU’s approval.
According to the Evening Standard, the ban comes following the EU’s newly launched digital Covid-19 travel certificate aims to allow secure travel across the continent without the need to quarantine or take additional Covid-19 tests.
Up to five million doses of this version of the vaccine are thought to have been administered in the UK.
It is learnt doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in the UK and Europe, which is known by the brand name Vaxzevria, plus the Pfizer and Moderna jabs also being given in the UK, are recognised by the EU vaccine passport scheme.
Meanwhile, according to a report by CodeBlue, the EU’s approval for Covid-19 vaccines also does not cover the AstraZeneca doses manufactured by South Korea’s SK Bioscience, Thailand’s Siam Bioscience and its Japan manufacturing facility. – The Vibes, July 5, 2021
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