[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: Khairy Jamaluddin (Photo) has dismissed as false a message circulating on social networks that implies that the Malaysian government had increased the cost of mass Covid-19 vaccination.
Khairy, who is also co-chair of the Special Committee to Ensure Access to Covid-19 Vaccines, noted that many people were getting the message across without fact-checking.
The message circulating on social media said:
“Belgium’s Health Minister tweeted Covid-19 vaccines for its entire population of 33.5 million. The most expensive is Modern at USD18.00 (RM72) and the cheapest is Astra Zenica at EUR 1.78 (RM8, 80). The total cost is 279 thousand crowns. The population of Malaysia is almost the same, and 279 crowns is about 131 million ringgit. But (Prime Minister Tan Sri) Muhyiddin announced 3 billion ringgit to immunize to 6.4 million Malaysians. “
Khairy, who is Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, pointed out the “basic errors” in the previous message.
He said Belgium’s population was 11.5 million, while Malaysia’s was 32 million.
“The Belgian currency is the euro. Not the crown. 279 million euros is RM1.38bil,” he said in a statement.
Khairy said Muhyiddin announced that RM3bil will procure vaccines for 70% of the population, and not just 6.4 million people.
The vaccine for 6.4 million people referred only to the Pfizer agreement.
“In the coming days, the prime minister will announce our next Covid-19 vaccine offerings. He would await those details before spreading inaccuracies on social media,” Khairy said.
[ad_2]
