KUALA LUMPUR – Khairy Jamaluddin has brushed off any notion that Malaysia is now part of a group of countries practising vaccine inequity, following its decision to administer third doses to high-risk groups soon.
Unlike developed countries, which have been accused of such an inconsiderate practice, Malaysia does not hoard its vaccines to the point of wastage, the health minister told a press conference today.
“We have heard news of wastage in some countries as vaccines are kept past their expiry date. All the vaccines that we have here, we use.
“We don’t hoard beyond what we need, and that is the crucial difference,” he said, responding to a question from the media if the country has joined the category of so-called vaccine hoarders.
He said Malaysia has donated vaccines to other nations, such as the 50,000 doses delivered to Bosnia-Herzegovina in June.
Khairy has been a strong critic of vaccine inequity, raising his disapproval on multiple occasions when he was science, technology and innovation minister, and tasked with coordinating the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.
At a World Bank forum in June 23, he slammed rich countries that cornered the market by hoarding supplies in the initial days of vaccine manufacturing, describing it as an extremely immoral practice.
Today, he said the Health Ministry has decided that in the event Malaysia does not require more doses to be delivered, the government will allow manufacturers to prioritise other countries.
On how Malaysia can afford to give booster shots when some nations are still struggling to complete giving the first dose, Khairy said this is why the third dose is targeted at a small group first.
Commenting on the issue of vaccine discrimination as practised by some countries, he said the government will seek the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) position on this.
“Our view is that our vaccines are the ones listed by WHO. As such, countries should recognise them for travellers who are coming in.”
He said there are nations discriminating against certain brands of vaccines, including those used in Malaysia, by imposing restrictions and tighter regulations on travellers who receive them.
This practice should not exist, he said, stressing the need for these countries to recognise the importance of vaccination, regardless of the vaccine brand used.
“I believe that instead of discriminating against certain vaccines, the onus is on the countries to implement disease prevention measures. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of getting vaccinated.” – The Vibes, September 24, 2021
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