Malaysia accepts Covaxin recipients: Khairy
Published on: Sunday, November 07, 2021
By: Bernama
KOTA BARU: Malaysia accepts travellers who receive the India-made Covaxin vaccine, said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.He said although the country does not use the vaccine as the supply of vaccines is sufficient, in terms of recognition, Malaysia accepts any traveller who receives the Covaxin shot.
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“Malaysia congratulates India for successfully producing the homemade vaccine.
“After receiving the approval of the World Health Organisation (WHO), we accept it even though we do not use the vaccine in Malaysia because our supply is still sufficient,” he told reporters at a press conference after visiting the Raja Perempuan Zainab Hospital (HRPZ), here, Saturday.
Also present were the Ministry of Health (MOH) Secretary-General Datuk Mohd Shafiq Abdullah and Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
On Wednesday, WHO approved the Covaxin Covid-19 vaccine developed by Indian pharmaceutical manufacturer Bharat Biotech, for emergency use.
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Covaxin which has a 78 per cent efficacy against Covid-19 is suitable for use in low- and middle-income countries for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2-induced Covid-19.
Covaxin is the seventh vaccine approved by WHO after Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen, Moderna, Sinopharm and Sinovac.
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Meanwhile, a total of 31 health facility development projects in Kelantan involving a total cost of RM623 million have been approved under the first Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
Khairy said these projects comprised 24 extension projects from 11MP with a cost of RM582 million and seven new projects costing RM40.1 million.
He said among the new projects approved were projects to upgrade alternative water supply at nine rural health clinics and the construction of a health clinic (Type 3) in Bachok at a cost of RM35 million.
“The approval of these health facility development projects is proof that the government is always striving to improve the health and well-being of the people of Kelantan,” Khairy said in his speech at the handover ceremony of the Penambang and Bahagia Health clinics here and in Kuala Krai respectively.
Khairy said Penambang health clinic here was approved under the third rolling plan of the 10MP with a total cost of RM24.874 million.
He said construction began on Dec 11, 2017 and was fully completed on April 28 this year.
“As for the Bahagia health clinic in Kuala Krai, it was approved under the first rolling plan of 11MP with a total cost of RM5.108 million,” he said, adding that construction kicked off on Jan 22, 2019 and the project was completed two months ago.
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