PUTRAJAYA – The decision to stop administering the Sinovac vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme is because its delivery has been completed, and has nothing to do with the jab’s efficacy, said Khairy Jamaluddin.
The incoculation drive coordinating minister said Pharmaniaga Bhd finished supplying 12 million doses of the Chinese-made vaccine to the government earlier than scheduled.
“We are receiving the entire (Sinovac) delivery by the end of this month,” he told a virtual press conference today, dismissing speculation that the decision to stop using the jab has to do with its efficacy.
Pharmaniaga in a statement said the final Sinovac batch to be supplied to the government will be delivered on July 21.
Khairy said Putrajaya has decided to use the Pfizer-BioNTech jab for the immunisation programme starting next month, while the Sinovac stockpile will be reserved for individuals allergic to other vaccine brands.
For this purpose, he said, the government has ordered three million Sinovac doses, “which we will receive by the end of July or in early August”.
On foreign media reports about export restrictions on AstraZeneca doses manufactured in Thailand, Khairy said he will hold bilateral talks with the kingdom to ensure no supply disruptions to Malaysia.
However, he said, Malaysia has already prepared an alternative plan should the Thai government curb AstraZeneca exports.
“We have a Plan B, which is to increase purchases from Sinovac because we already have the fill-and-finish facility in Malaysia (by Pharmaniaga). So, Pharmaniaga knows that we might call on them to produce vaccines for the government.” – Bernama, July 16, 2021
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