PETALING JAYA: The RM3bil allocation for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines is vital to the country’s fight against the pandemic, say healthcare professionals.

Malaysian Public Health Physicians Association president Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar believes that the government would procure enough vaccines to cater for about 70% of the population when all three phases of the rollout plan are completed.

“Frontliners, vulnerable groups, and economic and socially active contributors should be given the vaccine simultaneously.

“This will open up the economic and social sectors faster, ” he said when contacted.

Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia adviser Datuk Dr Musa Nordin said a large allocation was needed for the National Vaccination Programme in order to provide more vaccination coverage, especially of high-risk groups.

“If one dose of vaccine costs about RM40 (US$10), and the government plans to vaccinate more than 80% of the Malaysian population, or close to 26 million people, and where each person would require two doses, we would need about 52 million vaccine doses.

“A simple calculation would see that it would cost about RM2bil.

“That is just the cost of the vaccine alone and does not include logistics, storage, transportation, consumables and others, ” he added.

Dr Musa also urged the government to consider providing more allocations to cover incidental cost of logistics.

The authorities should also help to immunise high-risk groups by extending the vaccination programme to migrant workers, refugees and prisoners as well, he added.

Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said he hoped that the government can allocate additional money, staff and equipment that may be needed to carry out the vaccination plan.

“The main costs will be on transportation, cold chain management and equipment, as well as the staff needed to administer the vaccine, ” he said, in welcoming the one-off provisions for frontliners.

He added that since there is a possibility of the virus mutating, the government should also start planning budgets for booster jabs that would likely be required in the future.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/02/09/rm3bil-is-just-about-right-say-healthcare-experts