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Malaysia expects the coups to start in February
Pfizer to begin delivery of 12.8 million doses in the first quarter
A doctor collects a swab sample outside the Ajwa Clinic in Shah Alam, Malaysia. (Reuters photo)
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia expects to receive the first batch of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech in February, according to a report by the national news agency Bernama.
Last month, Malaysia announced that it had agreed to buy 12.8 million doses of the vaccine, becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to reach an agreement with the American pharmaceutical company and its German partner.
Under the agreement, Pfizer will deliver the first million doses in the first quarter of 2021, with 1.7 million in the second quarter, 5.8 million in the third and 4.3 million in the fourth quarter.
The government is also in talks with other pharmaceutical companies to secure more vaccines, Commerce Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said on Saturday.
“The government is making efforts to obtain a greater supply of vaccines to meet our needs,” Bernama quoted. “The government will follow the advice of the Ministry of Health regarding the percentage of people who should be vaccinated.”
In Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health has said that 13 million Thais will be vaccinated, free of charge, by mid-2021.
The country has ordered 26 million doses of the vaccine that the Swedish-British company AstraZeneca is producing, enough for 13 million people, since each person requires two injections a month apart.
AstraZeneca has had to conduct additional human trials after questions about data and dosages were raised in previous trials. However, it is now expected to receive UK regulatory approval in early January.
Pfizer and BioNTech have supply agreements with several countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan, Canada, Australia, and Great Britain.
They expect to produce up to 50 million doses of vaccines globally in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion in 2021.
More than 150 potential vaccines are being developed and tested globally to stop the Covid-19 pandemic, with 48 in human trials, the World Health Organization says.
