KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has called for the increase of global vaccine production, coordination of Covid-19 vaccine certifications and the dispelling of misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.
At the International Forum on Vaccine Cooperation held tonight, Hishammuddin said the biggest obstacle to ending the Covid-19 pandemic was vaccine inequity and misinformation.
"Increase global vaccine production by waiving intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines. The principle underpinning this is that every country should have the right to make its own vaccines during a pandemic.
"Harmonise vaccine certifications, especially vaccines recognised under the World Health Organisation (WHO), to facilitate approvals for use by regulatory agencies. This will assist in facilitating travel, tourism and economic recovery in the near future, without having to deal with restrictions of specific vaccine recognitions.
"Thirdly, dispel the info-demic and vaccine hesitancy arising from an overabundance of information and the rapid spread of misleading or fabricated news," he said at the virtual forum organised by China's Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The online meeting focused on vaccine production capacity and technology collaboration, towards greater vaccine accessibility and affordability for developing countries to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hishammuddin also stressed the importance of accessibility to vaccines especially following the presence of the Delta variant.
"The vaccines are the best defence we have thus far and we must work together in solidarity to ensure it reaches every corner of the earth, to every individual possible in order to ensure we are all safe.
"The virus does not see colour nor creed, and no one is safe until everyone is safe. This must be our guiding principle moving ahead with vaccination.
"Genuine international cooperation is our best bet and Malaysia fully supports the Joint Declaration of this Forum solidarity and cooperation will be our most powerful weapon in defeating the virus," he said.