Malaysia buys AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines, seeks more from China, Russia

Malaysia has signed a offer to procure 6.4 million doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine, and is in ultimate talks with Chinese and Russian companies to secure more, Key Minister Muhyiddin Yassin stated on Tuesday.

The Southeast Asian country has already secured 12.8 million doses from its deal with Pfizer-BioNTech signed last month, as properly as from its participation in the global COVAX facility, backed by the Entire world Wellness Business (WHO).

“This suggests that we have secured vaccine supplies to address 40% (of the populace),” Muhyiddin mentioned in a televised deal with.

Malaysia expects to acquire more than enough provides to inoculate 26.5 million people today, or far more than 80% of its people.

The govt is now in ultimate negotiations with China-primarily based companies Sinovac and CanSino as very well as Russia’s Gamaleya Institute to deal with the remainder, Muhyiddin reported.

The procurement promotions are anticipated to charge $504.4 million (2.04 billion ringgit) in full, he reported.

In get to strengthen self-assurance in the security and efficacy of the vaccines, Muhyiddin stated he would be amid the initial to obtain a dose, followed by frontliners and higher-possibility groups such as senior citizens.

The authorities expects to receive the initial batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in February, he included. Malaysia was the initial place in Southeast Asia to strike a deal with the U.S. drugmaker.

Under the Pfizer offer, it will receive 1 million doses in the initially quarter of 2021 and 1.7 million, 5.8 million and 4.3 million doses in the subsequent quarters.

Neighboring Singapore was the first Asian nation to acquire shipping and delivery of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday when its initial batch arrived from Belgium.