MALAYSIA has received the second batch of COVID-19 vaccine shipment via the COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Plan) Facility.
The 559,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines that arrived today follows the April 21 COVAX shipment of 268,800 doses to Kuala Lumpur. In total, Malaysia has received 828,000 doses of the expected 1,387,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX Facility.
The arrival in Kuala Lumpur marks an important milestone for the COVAX Facility in its effort to deliver at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by end-2021.
The COVAX Facility is an unprecedented global effort to provide every country in the world with equitable access to safe COVID-19 vaccines as rapidly as possible.
It entails a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The Government through the Health Ministry (MOH) and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation have been working together with WHO and UNICEF to bring life-saving vaccines to Malaysia.
“The arrival of vaccines through COVAX Facility is timely as with the current surge of cases, we must take every opportunity available to vaccinate as many people as possible and reduce hospitalisation and deaths,” said WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore Dr Jacqueline Lo Ying-Ru.
“Priority should be given to those who need it most – senior citizens and people with other underlying health conditions.”
While WHO and its partners are working to ensure that more and different types of vaccines are made available through COVAX Facility, the UN agency encourages Malaysians to register for their vaccination while continuing to be stay vigilant and be protected against the COVID-19 virus. – May 21, 2021
