KOTA KINABALU – Malaysia should be self-sufficient when it comes to vaccine supplies.
This was one of former chief minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s appeal to Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
He said the country should stop relying on other nations for vaccine supplies and instead produce its own, as India and Indonesia does.
“I think this is the time for Malaysia to produce its own vaccine; Indonesia and India are already producing their own, why can’t Malaysia?
“The government should invest in research and development to produce its own vaccines.
“There’s no need for the country to be dependent on vaccine-producing countries. Look at what’s happening now; there’s a hold up on the deliveries and shortage in the country’s vaccination,” Shafie said during a visit to a landslide area in Kg Kopungit, Kapayan, today.
Earlier, the Warisan president held an online meeting with Khairy on problems faced by Sabah in handling the Covid-19 situation.
Khairy is on a two-day working visit to the state beginning yesterday.
Shafie said registration for vaccinations should be simplified, explaining that the present process of filling various forms hinders the inoculation roll-out.
The Semporna MP said that he also told Khairy there is no “one-size-fits-all” way to deal with the pandemic, saying that Sabah and Sarawak require different approaches due to their demographics.
He said the method implemented in states like Penang differ from those in East Malaysia.
“For instance, two-dose vaccines like Pfizer may be practical in urban areas like Kota Kinabalu, but the single-dose CanSino can be used in rural areas, where the population is scattered,” he said.
He added that the distribution of single-dose vaccines should also be intensified, especially for those living on islands and in the interior.
“The single-dose vaccines (roll-out) should be expanded and the government should intensify the outreach programmes.
“There are many Sabahans living in hard-to-reach areas and travelling is difficult for them as there is no public transport or boats that can get them to the inoculation facilities,” said Shafie. – The Vibes, September 7, 2021
