KUALA LUMPUR: The first batch of Covid-19 vaccines will be made available in the first quarter of next year, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the RM3 billion allocated under 2021 Budget would be able to cover 70 per cent of Malaysia's population under the national target for Covid-19 immunisation.
Based on this target, he said the estimation was made after taking into consideration the average price for the Covid-19 vaccine that was being developed as well as the fair procurement percentage for each type of vaccine from pharmaceutical companies.
"However, the RM3 billion is subject to change as the price of vaccine to be procured is still in negotiation and discussion stages. The 70 per cent population target to receive Covid-19 vaccination was derived from the formula on herd immunity.
"Most of the Covid-19 vaccines that are being developed have yet to be tested on children under 12. Thus, this group will not receive the vaccination during the first stage. Instead, we will focus on adults to achieve this target," he said while winding-up the 2021 Budget debate for the ministry.
He said the Roadmap for the National Vaccine Development, which would be ready in the second quarter or 2021, was being developed and aimed at making Malaysia a human vaccine producer in 10 years, as it presently did not have complete facilities for such a purpose.
Apart from that, he said the ministry had also offered a new fund scheme Mosti Combating Covid-19 Fund (MCCOF) that encouraged any research and development, commercialisation and innovation (R&D&C&I) in fighting and containing the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Mosti (Ministry Of Science, Technology And Innovation) has approved a RM2.1 million project under the fund for Universiti Malaya (UM) to develop Covid-19 vaccine. The ministry hopes MCCOF will be a platform to create local vaccines and reduce dependency from abroad.
"Apart from that, the government has also included the 'transfer of technology and expertise' element through negotiations made to procure vaccines from countries or overseas pharmaceutical companies.
"For example, collaboration agreements between Malaysia and the government of China signed last week saw the strengthening of cooperation between the two in vaccine research and development in future.
"My initial discussion with Russian representatives was also not limited to procurement of the Sputnik vaccine, but also transfer of expertise in developing vaccines for Covid-19 and other viruses in Malaysia."
Khairy said Pharmaniaga and Duopharma have the capacity to carry out fill and finish (filling vials with vaccine and finishing the process of packaging the medicine for distribution) of Covid-19 vaccine, although the selection of companies for the process would not be limited to them.
"Duopharma will use its existing facility in Klang to conduct fill and finish. The facility needs to be upgraded and is expected to be completed by early 2021.
"Meanwhile, Pharmaniaga's facility has been converted for fill and finish for single and multi dosage vaccine."
To a question from Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH-Kuala Selangor), Khairy said an independent Covid-19 vaccine evaluation committee has been established, with epidemiologist Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud as its chairman, in line with the government's efforts to engage various stakeholders.
He said the nine-member committee, comprised specialists from various fields including virology, infectious diseases and pharmaceutical economics, and would be expanded to others.