PETALING JAYA,Nov 25: Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has assured that Malaysians will not be used as lab rats for the Covid-19 vaccines that are expected to arrive within the first quarter of the coming year.
“We will not compromise the health and safety of our citizens,” he said in Parliament today.
This was in response to Azis Jamman (Warisan-Sepanggar) who asked the government to promise not to use Malaysians for its “test run” on the vaccines.
The minister also said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin would make an announcement in the near future regarding the first batch of vaccines.
“About 70% of the first cohort will be vaccinated once we receive a batch of the vaccines from China, ideally within the first quarter of the coming year.”
He said adults would be prioritised in the early stages of distributing the vaccine, with focus given to frontliners. “We are prioritising adults to raise our population’s immunity.”
Asked by Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) as to what would happen to the remaining 30%, the minister said: “With this targeted 70% in mind, there will be those who will not receive the vaccine.
“For example, children 12 and under will not be considered for vaccination yet.”
It was reported earlier that the World Health Organisation had said 10 of 47 vaccines undergoing clinical trials since Nov 3 had reached phase three but had yet to be approved for widespread use.
