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KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will be the first person to receive the Covid-19 vaccine when the national vaccination program is rolled out in the country later this month.
This has been confirmed by the minister of science, technology and innovation, Khairy Jamaluddin, who is also the coordinating minister of the National Immunization Program against Covid-19.
“Yes, I can confirm that the prime minister will be the first person to be vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine to give the public confidence that the vaccine is safe,” he said last night in “Ruang Bicara” in Bernama.
On February 4, it was reported that Muhyiddin had said that the immunization program would begin at the end of the month with the government targeting 80% of the country’s population or 26.5 million people to receive the vaccine, which would be carried out in three phases and that it would be given for free.
The first phase, from February to April, is for the 500,000 avant-garde who are directly involved in the fight against Covid-19, while the second phase, from April to August, is for the high-risk group, made up of older people. 60 years and over. above and the vulnerable group with morbidity problems, such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as people with disabilities.
The third phase is from May to February of next year and is for those over 18 years of age.
On complaints that Malaysians are receiving the Covid-19 vaccine later than other developed countries and also neighboring countries, Khairy said it is because the government is more focused on planning a more efficient and effective vaccination vaccination program.
“We are not that late, as Australia, South Korea and Japan are still studying (the suitability of the vaccine). I prefer to streamline the purchase and delivery process and until now, according to the signed agreement, we will receive (the vaccine) in February, ”he added.
Khairy said Indonesia was able to get the Sinovac vaccine early because the republic was a testing ground, while Singapore also got the vaccine early because of its investment with Pfizer-BioNTech, which is the producer.
As such, producers gave priority to both countries, he added.
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