KUALA LUMPUR: CanSino and Sinovac vaccines will be used to step up vaccination in six states which have yet to achieve vaccinating 50 per cent of the adult population, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minster Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
He said the country would be acquiring three million doses of CanSino vaccine which only required one dose up to the end of the year while the additional supply of six million doses of Sinovac vaccine is sufficient to achieve herd immunity.
"CanSino vaccine is a breakthrough in the view of the prime minister as we do not have to wait if there is delay by the supplier which we have made a manufacturing and supply agreement with them.
"CanSino can be used in areas which are difficult to reach and remote for two-dose vaccination," he said after his first working visiting to the fill and finish factory of Solution Biologics Sdn Bhd (SolBio) for Convidicea CanSino vaccine in Bukit Jalil today.
Dr Adham said Malaysia had purchased 3.5 million doses of CanSino vaccine, and from the total, three million doses are for the purpose of "fill and finish" while the remaining 500,000 doses will be received in bulk form from CanSino China.
He said 200,000 doses of this vaccine had been received and distributed to states with low rate of vaccination to speed up the process of achieving herd immunity up to the end of next month and added that 300,000 CanSino vaccine doses will be received in September.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Sunday gave the Health Ministry and the International Trade and Industry Ministry up to the end of September to ensure the six states achieve 50 per cent Covid-19 vaccination of the adult population.
As at yesterday, the six states with vaccination below 50 per cent were Perak (46.9 per cent), Terengganu (46.8 per cent), Johor (46.1 per cent), Kedah (44.2 per cent), Kelantan (43.9 per cent) and Sabah (38 per cent).
SolBio had signed a bulk product to ready product agreement with CanSino Biologics Inc of China to supply Recombinant Ad5-nCoV or Convidecia vaccine.
Meanwhile, commenting on the country's intention to be a Covid-19 vaccine producing country, Dr Adham said the ministry would be launching the national vaccine roadmap soon.
"The National Vaccine Development Roadmap is now in the final draft preparation.
"Research and development of vaccine would be one of the top priorities of (my ministry) soon so that the country has the capability to produce its own vaccine… for the country's health and economy," he said.
Also present during the working visit were Dr Adham's deputy Datuk Amzad Mohamed and ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir. – Bernama