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'Did Malaysia choose Covid-19 vaccine with higher storage cost?'

'Did Malaysia choose Covid-19 vaccine with higher storage cost?'
'Did Malaysia choose Covid-19 vaccine with higher storage cost?'

Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu has raised concerns about whether the government made the right decision to purchase Covid-19 vaccines from US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer which require ultra-low temperatures of -70 Celcius.

This was after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that Malaysia has signed with Pfizer for 12.8 million doses of its vaccine.

Liu asked if hospitals and clinics would have the facilities to store the vaccines at -70 Celcius.

He also pointed out a Jakarta Globe report stating that Indonesia was unlikely to procure Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer due to the challenge of storing them at such a cold temperature.

"Besides spending the money on the vaccine, would the government have to spend more money on the logistics of distributing and storing the Pfizer vaccine throughout the country?

"Would this money be better used to purchase more doses of the vaccine for more people?" asked Liu in a statement.

He added that the challenge of storing the vaccines not only concerns hospitals and pharmacies but also warehouses and transportation.

"Compared to the vaccine developed by Pfizer, the Sinovac vaccine can be stored at a normal fridge temperature of two to eight Celcius, which is more practical for our tropical climate," said the DAP lawmaker.

Sinovac is a Beijing-based pharmaceutical company which is under phase three clinical trial in several countries but is already being used in China for emergencies.

However, Muhyiddin has expressed confidence that local healthcare facilities can meet the challenges.

“This because the implementation would not only involve Health Ministry facilities, but also other government agencies such as the Armed Forces hospitals, university hospitals, and other hospitals,” Muhyiddin had said.

Liu also urged the prime minister to be transparent about the cost of the Covid-19 vaccines the government will be acquiring from Pfizer.

He asked if Pfizer is able to supply its vaccines for less than China's Sinovac, at under US$20 (RM81) per dose.

"Unless Pfizer can supply the vaccine below the price quoted by the Chinese government, there is no reason why the Malaysian government should rush into signing an agreement with a private company," said Liu.

He also urged the government to clarify the safety of the vaccines.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had assured that any Covid-19 vaccine to be used in Malaysia must first be certified to be safe.

He said while Malaysia signed agreements before certification so as not to be left behind, the use of the vaccines will still be subject to approval by the Malaysian National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency.