M'sia hopeful Covid-19 vaccine can be used by first quarter of 2021

Malaysia is hopeful of obtaining Covid-19 vaccines from countries that produce them and is expecting them to be available for use by the first quarter of next year.

Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said based on the latest reports, there were now 10 leading candidates among the vaccine producers which have completed the third phase of their clinical tests.

"As we have been informed, the vaccines produced by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE have been claimed to be 90 percent effective. This is a good and healthy development.

"We are confident that there are many more leading candidates in the world like Gamaleya Research Institute whose vaccine has also undergone the third phase of clinical tests which we see as a good opportunity too in providing vaccines to our own people," he said.

He said the results of the third-phase of clinical tests for a vaccine from China were still not yet known. Discussions were still ongoing, he said.

The procurement of Covid-19 vaccines for the country will depend on careful considerations with regard to the safety, quality, implications, and registration of the vaccines by the producing countries, he said.

Adham was speaking during a 'Selamat Pagi Malaysia' programme produced by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) today.

Asked whether former Covid-19 patients could get infected again, he said the chances were low compared with those who were never infected with the virus before.

He said the recovery rate, meanwhile, had shown increases with 73 percent recorded yesterday compared with 65 percent two weeks ago.

On the increase in the number of Covid-19 positive cases in some locations such as the Klang Valley, Adham said this was linked to workplace and construction site clusters where infectivity rates were high as there was movement of people and laxity in adhering to the standard operating procedure (SOP).

"The rise in cases in Kuala Lumpur shows that we need to tighten actions, compliance, enforcement, and monitoring. We have to continue with preventive and control measures, adhere to the SOP, and adapt to the new norms.

"This is the responsibility of all. With regard to the workplace clusters, it is very important for employers and workers to be responsible. Employers have a vital role in ensuring their staff or workers are always protected,” Adham (above) added.

- Bernama

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