THE approximately 2.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines that had expired as of Feb 28 were worth roughly RM81.4 mil, said Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
According to Dr Zaliha, there were 2,796,638 expired COVID-19 vaccine doses of various brands stashed at the ministry’s facilities and vaccine storage warehouse.
She was responding to a query from SEnator Datuk Dr Ahmad Azam Hamzah in the Dewan Negara about the quantity of vaccine doses that had expired and the costs that the government had borne.
Although the shelf life of COVID-19 vaccines used in Malaysia was extended in January, Dr Zaliha announced two months later that nearly 2.8 mil vaccine doses had expired as of Feb 28.
She indicated that expired vaccine doses accounted for 3.27% of the total amount of vaccine doses purchased by the government.
She also noted that more than eight million doses of COVID-19 vaccines stored by the health ministry will expire by September this year.
Last month, the Health Minister indicated in a written parliamentary response in the Dewan Rakyat that these vaccines could still be administered through the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) until they expired. – April 12, 2023
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