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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will be among the first people in the country to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in an attempt to convince the public that it is safe and effective.
The vaccine will be given first to front-line healthcare workers, followed by those in high-risk groups, such as the elderly, those with non-communicable diseases and chronic respiratory diseases, Muhyiddin said.
READ: Malls In Malaysia Decked Up For The Holiday Season As COVID-19 Curbs Lighten, Crowds Return
Muhyiddin made the announcement in a short video on Tuesday (December 22) about the latest development and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to Malaysians.
He said the government would ensure an immediate supply of the vaccine.
“The government expects that the first supply of one million doses of vaccine from Pfizer will be received and delivered to the target group by February 2021 at the earliest,” he said.
Last month, Malaysia announced that it agreed to buy 12.8 million doses of the vaccine. Under the agreement, Pfizer will deliver the first million doses in the first quarter of 2021, with 1.7 million, 5.8 million and 4.3 million doses in the following quarters.
READ: 30% of Malaysians are expected to get vaccinated against COVID-19 next year: PM Muhyiddin
Muhyiddin also said the government had just signed an agreement with the biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to secure 6.4 million doses, or 10 percent more vaccines, according to local news outlet New Straits Times.
“This means that a 40 percent guarantee of the vaccine supply has been secured through agreements with the COVAX Facility, Pfizer and AstraZeneca,” he said.
Muhyiddin added that the government is also in the final stage of negotiations with China’s Russia-backed Gamaleya Research Center, Sinovac and CanSino to secure vaccines for more than 80 percent of the country’s population.
READ: Malaysia will receive first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in February
The Ministry of Health’s National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) will continue to monitor the effectiveness and safety of vaccines once they are obtained and used, Muhyiddin said in the video.
“Once again, I would like to invite all of you to appreciate and cultivate new norms in everyday life, even after we receive vaccine supplies and get vaccinated.
“We need to adapt to the new rules because the virus is already in the community,” he said.
Mr. Muhyiddin also reminded people to adhere to established safety measures and practice frequent hand washing, wearing face masks, and maintaining physical distance.
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