KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has cautioned that Covid-19 vaccines may be sold privately in the country despite the government being the sole importer and distributor of the items.
In a statement, its president Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said that MMA has been informed that vaccinations are being sold by a non-healthcare private company to private groups at around RM400 for two doses per person.
He said that according to the information a private healthcare facility has been engaged to carry out the vaccinations.
MMA urges the relevant authorities, as well as the Malaysian Medical Council, to conduct a full investigation on this matter, he added.
“MMA takes a serious view of this, as currently the Malaysian government is the official importer and distributor of vaccines approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA),” he said.
“All vaccines available in the country are free of charge to the public and are exclusively available through the government’s National Immunisation Programme.
“If indeed the allegations about privately sold vaccines are proven to be true, stern action must be taken against both the non-healthcare private company and the private healthcare facility Involved.”
Thus far, only state governments and private hospitals are allowed to procure vaccine brands not used in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (Pick), provided they have been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
On June 3, Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin – who is the coordinating minister for the country’s immunisation programme – had said that the state governments need to register with the NPRA for this.
However, states that are interested in getting vaccines from the same suppliers engaged by Putrajaya must wait for the latter’s orders to be fulfilled first, he said.
“Once the federal government’s orders have been met, they (vaccine producers) can then supply states,” Khairy had said. – The Vibes, June 23, 2021
