Report: Malaysia to start Covid-19 vaccine launch in February, one million will receive Pfizer vaccine, Health Minister says | Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, January 3 – Up to one million frontline people and high-risk population groups in Malaysia will be vaccinated against Covid-19 next month, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Adham Baba.

the New sunday times reported that he said this will be the first phase of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine once it reaches Malaysia, with the second phase taking place in April or May.

Members of high-risk groups include those with noncommunicable diseases such as heart, lung, and kidney disease and diabetes.

“The government will provide the vaccines for free, with a target of 80 percent of the population or 26 million people,” he said after attending a Wanita Umno meeting in Bandar Tenggara, Johor, yesterday.

The second phase will see the arrival of approximately 6.2 million doses of the vaccine to be rolled out accordingly.

Separately, the minister said that the government does not plan to reopen national borders anytime soon, given the high global rate of Covid-19 infection.

“It is not time for Malaysia to reopen its borders and allow foreign tourists in, and cases are peaking around the world.

“It will take some time before Malaysia can flatten the curve as we have just started to enforce the extension of the recovery movement control order,” he said.

Dr. Adham added that the ministry anticipates an increase in the number of cases following active tracking among foreign workers at construction sites and factories across the country.

The mandatory examination for foreign workers began on Friday (January 1).

“The projections will involve 800,000 foreign workers in the Federal Territories, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang and Sabah.

“From August to December 31, 70,000 foreign workers were screened,” he said.