GEORGE TOWN – The government is in a quandary over whether individuals fully vaccinated against Covid-19 who arrive in the country need to be quarantined, following Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement that those who have completed two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine may be allowed to travel across state lines or even abroad.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today said that risk assessment needs to be done to address whether those who have received two doses outside the country can enter the country without having to undergo quarantine.
“There is some data that came in overnight about the Pfizer vaccine being effective in cutting the transmission.
“We have to get our regulators and expert working group to analyse the data, and agree that the Pfizer vaccine actually cuts transmission.”
Khairy said this during a press conference at the Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology (Crest) centre at Sains@USM, a Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) facility here.
He said the Health Ministry (MoH) is trying to ascertain whether or not quarantine requirements can be relaxed for those coming into Malaysia after completing the vaccinations.
In the meantime, Khairy said that he has set up a challenge for Malaysia to create a vaccine within 10 years as part of the National Vaccine Development Roadmap.
“If I am not mistaken, USM is now looking at a cholera vaccine, and this is research we can help and support in the roadmap towards vaccine manufacturing.
“At the same time, I have given grants to two universities – Universiti Malaya and Universiti Putra Malaysia – totalling RM5 million to manufacture a vaccine for Covid-19.
“However, to not give people too much hope, this is still at the pre-clinical stage,” he said, adding that Malaysia has not yet reached the level where it can conduct research, trials and manufacturing for vaccines.
“From research, I must say that this is not going to be the last pandemic as there will be other pandemics or epidemics that stem from zoonotic (sources) and, hence, it is worthwhile to invest in it for now so we can create vaccines for the future.”
Yesterday, Muhyiddin had said that a decision to allow vaccinated individuals more mobility in the country will be made at a National Security Council meeting.
Currently, interstate travel is allowed for only individuals involved in the essential services and tourism sectors between states placed under the recovery movement control order, with a condition that tourists use agencies and tour vehicles registered with the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
He had also said that the government has started discussions and negotiations with several countries for Malaysians who have been vaccinated to travel there. – The Vibes, April 2, 2021
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