[ad_1]
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia said on Wednesday (November 17) that it signed an agreement with China to cooperate in the development of a safe and effective vaccine, as part of efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the agreement, in effect for an initial five-year period, Malaysia will have priority access to COVID-19 vaccines developed by China.
The two will share knowledge and experience and facilitate scientific and technological capabilities to promote vaccine development in their countries, Malaysia said in a joint ministerial statement.
The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Khairy Jamaluddin, signed the agreement with his Chinese counterpart Wang Zhigang in a virtual ceremony.
READ: Malaysia in final stage of talks with COVID-19 vaccine producers, aims to roll out immunizations for first quarter
Malaysia-China cooperation under the agreement would be overseen by a committee chaired by the foreign ministers of both countries that was formed in October to address post-pandemic challenges.
“Both countries will also support the participation of their public and private sectors, including universities, institutions, societies and organizations in joint collaborative projects,” the Malaysian ministries said.
LEE: Malaysia extends movement restrictions amid a record 1,240 new cases of COVID-19
Malaysia said on Monday that it is in the final stage of talks with manufacturers of the COVID-19 vaccine and expects to implement immunizations by the first quarter of next year. Malaysia is in talks with 10 COVID-19 vaccine producers that are in phase 3 trials, Khairy said.
660 NEW COVID-19 CASES
The Health Ministry reported 660 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, bringing the national count to 50,390. There were also four new deaths, bringing the total deaths to 322.
Sabah accounted for 387 cases, while 141 infections were recorded in Selangor.
The Health Ministry said the number of available hospital beds in the Klang Valley increased from 345 to 4,739 in preparation for a possible spike in infections. A total of 103 patients remain protected in the intensive care unit, and 41 require respiratory assistance.
Deputy Director General for Health Rohaizat Yon said the health ministry’s various strategies have helped keep the number of COVID-19 deaths in Malaysia at nine deaths per million inhabitants.
Dr Rohaizat said that an analysis showed that the majority of COVID-19 deaths in Malaysia were mainly patients aged 50 and over, accounting for 85.4 percent of all deaths.
“Other important factors that also contribute to the death of COVID-19 patients are comorbidities such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, as well as the duration of patients seeking treatment in health facilities,” said.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
