ALOR GAJAH, April 8 — Malaysia has agreed to despatch 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as other countries who did not receive priority through COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) facility.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof said the aid would be channeled in the name of humanity and the cabinet concurred with the decision yesterday.
“So far, Bosnia-Herzegovina has appealed to Malaysia as fatalities and infections in the country are rising and they faced difficulties in the European community.
“So based on our caring policy, we agreed to bilaterally provide 50,000 doses of vaccine (to Bosnia-Herzegovina) as we understand not all countries are as lucky as Malaysia who was given priority to obtain the COVID-10 vaccine,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after a Prihatin Malaysia programme on COVID-19 Management: Current issues at Alor Gajah Municipal Council hall here today.
He said the vaccine gift to other countries would not affect the National COVID-19 immunisation Programme as well as the vaccination schedule even though it was taken from the country’s quota.
“From what we have received, we set aside the amount for them and therefore it would not affect our allocation to implement the national vaccination programme. This is because we will continue to receive vaccines until the target of 70 to 80 per cent vaccine recipients was reached,” he said.
He said the Foreign Ministry and the Health Ministry would be arranging the delivery of the aid even though the type of vaccine has not been finalised as there is a need to take into consideration the logistic capability of the country first.
Mohd Redzuan said the matter was not easy and at the same time Malaysia did not want to burden the recipient country with the vaccine aid which needed special logistics.
