All states can get their own approved vaccines, maintains KJ - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: All states are allowed to procure their own vaccines as long as they have been approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), says Khairy Jamaluddin.

However, the science, technology and innovation minister said certain states like Selangor procured vaccines from the same pharmaceutical companies that Putrajaya purchased from for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).

“Based on the conditions of the agreement between Putrajaya and the companies producing the vaccine, the supply of vaccines have to be prioritised for the federal government,” he said in a statement today.

He said this was to ensure PICK could be implemented before vaccine supplies are channelled to other parties such as state governments, industry players or private hospitals.

His statement came shortly after Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state had been offered two million doses of Sinovac vaccines but claimed that the health ministry had denied them permission to use the vaccines.

Chow said they had written to the ministry in February when the offer for the vaccines was first made but the ministry turned them down.

Khairy also said the Covid-19 immunisation task force (CITF) welcomed any donations of vaccines to PICK or states, on condition that the vaccines have been approved by NPRA.

“For now, the three vaccines that have been approved by the NPRA are the Pfizer, Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines,” he added.

On reports that Putrajaya was snubbing a donation of 200,000 Sinovac jabs from the Sekhar Foundation, he said checks with Pharmaniaga and their counterparts in China found that there was no official document on any request or purchase from the foundation.

Khairy also said a committee of experts are evaluating the suitability of prolonging the period between vaccine doses, after Singapore said it was studying this proposal to allow more to get their first shot earlier.

On the massive crowds at vaccination centres, he advised those who have registered to avoid coming too early for their appointment to prevent congestion.

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