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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians will not be used as “laboratory mice” regarding the use of the Covid-19 vaccine once it is available, says Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin.
“We are not going to compromise safety, although we hope to receive the vaccine by the first quarter of next year, giving priority to the first line.”
“We will make sure to obtain interim safety data from the companies supplying the vaccine and we will also examine their clinical data.
“No Malay will become a laboratory mouse (regarding the use of vaccines),” he said during his ministerial closing speech on Budget 2021 in Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (November 25).
He said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to make an announcement soon about the availability of the Covid-19 vaccine for the country.
It also clarified why an estimated RM3bil allocation is needed for the vaccine.
“This amount is to cover 70% of the vaccination target, which is in line with the development of herd immunity for the nation.
“However, the amount of RM3bil is still subject to change as negotiations are still ongoing on the final price of the vaccine,” he said.
Drawing on the science behind herd immunity, Khairy explained that the remaining 30% of the population would not require vaccination as the spread of the virus would not affect them once 70% of the population is vaccinated.
He also noted that current Covid-19 vaccines have yet to be tested in children under the age of 12.
As such, he said that children under the age of 12 will not be among those vaccinated when vaccines are expected to be available in the first trimester of next year.
Khairy added that the Special Committee on Access to the Supply of Covid-19 Vaccines (JKJAV) will also prepare a portfolio of vaccines to search for vaccines from various pharmaceutical companies.
He said Malaysia is currently in talks with the United States, Europe, Russia and China to obtain Covid-19 vaccines once they become available.
On the availability of vaccines produced by Muslim nations, he said that Iran, Kazakhstan and Indonesia are currently in the early stages of developing a vaccine.
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