PETALING JAYA: The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy has applauded the government’s strategies in obtaining the Covid-19 vaccine.
Despite the delay in procuring the vaccine, when compared with neighbouring countries, its CEO Azrul Mohd Khalib described the government’s efforts as “better late than never”.
“We begin 2021 with three vaccines poised for roll-out throughout the year to benefit and protect at least 40% of the population.
“While we continue to scrutinise the government’s Covid-19 response, the Galen Centre stands in support of ongoing efforts to provide safe and effective vaccines for the Malaysian population,” he said in a statement today.
The government has currently signed three agreements with Covax, Pfizer and AstraZeneca to purchase vaccines that meet the immunisation needs of 40% of the population.
However, Azrul expressed concern on the various criticisms against the government’s procurement strategy, saying there were many accusations being thrown around based on misinformation and conspiracy theories.
He added that much of the protests against the vaccine were due to middlemen or tender agents being excluded from vaccine deals, and commended the government for conducting direct negotiations with pharmaceutical companies instead.
“Close scrutiny is necessary when public funds are concerned. However, opportunists including anti-vaxxers in Malaysia, have jumped on the vaccine issue and politicised it, especially in the wake of the revelation of vaccine prices by Belgium’s budget state secretary Eva De Bleeker,” Azrul said.
De Bleeker had previously published a table with prices Belgium would pay pharmaceutical companies for their Covid-19 vaccines.
In her Twitter post, the Pfizer vaccine was indicated as costing Belgium €12 (RM60) per dose, leading many to believe that was the full price agreed by the European Union. Other vaccines in the table were also shown with prices lower than was previously disclosed by EU sources.
Azrul clarified that volume and the country’s economic status largely affected the vaccine’s pricing, adding that the EU prices were not inclusive of logistical costs.
He estimated that the Covax vaccine would cost RM86 per person, while for AstraZeneca it could be RM28 per person.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had previously confirmed that the Pfizer vaccine would be priced at less than RM100 per dose.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that he would be among the first individuals to receive the vaccine, to assure the public that it was safe and effective.
He also said the government was concluding negotiations with SinoVac, CanSino and Gamaleya to acquire more vaccines to cover 80% of the population, or 26.5 million people.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR LIVE UPDATE OF THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN MALAYSIA