PETALING JAYA: Covid-19 vaccines should be made available to anyone willing to pay the market price for them, former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye said today.
While the government has inked deals with Pfizer-BioNTech and Covax to vaccinate a combined 30% of the population, private companies like MyEG have also sealed commercial agreements with other vaccine manufacturers.
Previously, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said vaccinations would be free for all Malaysians, while foreigners will have to pay a fee to be determined by the health ministry.
In a statement, Lee said that it would be more “practical” to provide free vaccinations to high-risk groups like frontliners, the elderly and individuals with co-morbidities.
“Vaccines should be mandatory for certain high-risk occupations where close contact is unavoidable.
“However, vaccines should also be available for anyone who wish to be vaccinated at market price. These include those who wish to travel overseas,” he said.
The Gopeng MP added that prioritising herd immunity would be “silly” at the moment, given it would require the vaccination of 70% of the population amid lingering questions about the available vaccines.
Lee noted that there was still minimal data available on the safety and long-term efficacy of the vaccines, with little indication on whether it will stop the spread of the virus even if people are protected from infection.
He also questioned Malaysia’s ability to procure the necessary volume to vaccinate such a large number of people.
“We simply cannot get enough supply with our limited resources unless we are prepared to pay the price offered by developed countries.”
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