BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN

vaccination programme received a boost when Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin received the first dose on his left arm on Feb 24 .

The Prime Minister was injected with the first of two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at the Putrajaya District Health Office Precinct 11 , administered by Putrajaya health clinic Chief Nurse Lina Ibrahim .

Also receiving their first doses were Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah ( pix top right ) along with a group of frontliners from the healthcare sector , namely , Clement Marai Francis , a driver with the Putrajaya district health clinic , Medical Officer Dr Tan Yee Ling , nurse Sheilla Melissa Sikin from Precinct 9 health clinic and Assistant Medical Officer Dr Khairul Asraf Mohd Yassin from the Ministry of Health ( MoH )

The inoculation was telecast live at 2.30pm to encourage Malaysians to get vaccinated . There have been reports of some adverse side-effects of the vaccine in other countries , and the government is concerned this could affect the acceptance rate locally .

Logistics of vaccines procured

The government has allocated RM2.05 billion to purchase the Covid-19 vaccines , covering 26.5 million Malaysians who will get free vaccination ( 82.8 per cent of Malaysians ). Non-citizens residing in Malaysia will also enjoy free immunisation .

The Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee ( JKJAV ), co-chaired by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba and Science , Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin , is in charge of the Covid-19 vaccine acquisition , distribution and immunisation framework and plan .

Malaysia has secured procurement of 66.7 million doses of the vaccine through the COVAX Facility from five producers . These vaccines are Pfizer-BioNTech , AstraZeneca , Sinovac , CanSinoBIO and Sputnik V .

On Feb 16 , Muhyiddin launched the NIP guidebook , obtained from JKJAV ’ s official website at https :// www . vaksincovid . gov . my /.

According to the NIP guidebook , vaccine delivery and storage involves the integrated operation of multi-government agencies through the MoH , the Malaysian Armed Forces ( ATM ) and other security authorities .

And as a precautionary measure , before the immunisation process is carried out , the MoH carried out a vaccine dry run from the Pfizer factory in Belgium to Klinik Kesihatan Belaga in rural Sarawak and Bintulu Hospital on Jan 29-30 , 2021 .

The convoy was escorted by cops .

The first shipment of 312,390 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived on Sunday , Feb 21 , via air . Dr Adham , Khairy , Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong and Dr Noor Hisham were present at the KL International Airport ( KLIA ) in Sepang to receive the two-unit load devices ( ULD ) of the vaccines . They stayed till the shipment was transported away for storage .

The ULD from the aircraft ’ s cargo section was loaded into a truck belonging to logistics company DHL at the Advanced Cargo Centre ( ACC ). Part of the first batch was also transported overland from

Timeline for Malaysia ’ s vaccine acquisition

DEC 2019

JAN 2020

APR 2020

OCT 14 , 2020

DEC 2020

JAN 5 , 2021

FEB 21 , 2021

• Covid-19 is detected

• China distributed the genetic code for Covid-19

• Vaccine development commences globally

• Science diplomacy approach was mobilised by MOH-MOSTI-MFA

• Science diplomacy was carried out with countries & vaccine manufacturers as well as global alliances and bodies for immunisation & health

• The establishment of the Special Committee for Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine Supply ( JKJAV )

• Prime Minister announced that Malaysia has gained access to vaccine for 82.8 % population of Malaysia

• The Public Accounts Committee was satisfied with the Covid-19 national vaccine procurement strategy

• Malaysia receives the first vaccine

Source : National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Guidebook

Singapore to Johor , arriving in Senai at 2.45pm .

This first batch of vaccine was transported under heavy police escort to 16 DHL storage centres , six of them in Selangor , four in Johor , three in Kuala Lumpur , two in Penang and one in Putrajaya .

The vaccines will be stored in Vaccines Storage Centres ( VSCs ) in 54 locations .

National vaccination plan

The NIP will be carried out in three phases , each targeting different priority groups , and will be done free of charge .

The first phase from February to April targets frontliners from the public and private healthcare personnel and essential services such as defence and security personnel .

The second phase will be from April to August , targeting senior citizens aged 60 and above and vulnerable groups with morbidities and people with disabilities , while the third phase is from May to Feb 2022 for those aged 18 and above .

As the clinical trials were not conducted on children , the government exempts children from the NIP . It will only consider using the Covid-19 vaccine in children when there is scientific data that proves its effectiveness and safety to them .

During the NIP guidebook launching event , Muhyiddin stated that although the government had not made it compulsory for people to get vaccinated , those who refuse inoculation could face restraints in moving around or engaging in businesses in the future .

At the same event , Khairy said the Covid-19 vaccine would be administered to security personnel and volunteers at the vaccination centres if people who registered for the vaccine do not turn up as the vaccine ’ s life span is very short once removed from cold storage .

The government aims for at least 80 per cent of Malaysia ’ s adult population to be vaccinated by February 2022 to reduce this virus ’ s spread .

There are plans to open 605 Vaccines Administration Centres ( VACs ) across the country involving public and private health facilities , stadiums , convention centres , public halls and universities .

Muhyiddin also launched the Covid-19 vaccination registration programme through the MySejahtera application to facilitate the immunisation programme ’ s implementation .

It was reported that within the first day , 637,000 individuals registered through the MySejahtera app .

Alternatively , the public can register via the website ‘ www . vaksincovid . gov . my ’, or for offline registration , they may contact the hotline announced soon ; head to the nearest public or private healthcare facility ; or through assistance programmes for residents in rural and inland areas . — The Health