PRIVATE hospitals hoping to purchase Covid-19 vaccines quickly for their own immunisation drives may only receive supplies in the third and fourth quarter of the year as there is a worldwide shortage at present, Khairy Jamaluddin said.

The coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme said he wanted to manage expectations of private hospitals on procuring their own vaccine supplies.

“I want to manage expectations. Let’s hope the wealthy do not think they can pay for the jab and get it within a short period of time.

“There is a vaccine shortage in the world,” the science, technology and innovation minister said at his weekly press conference on the programme’s progress.

“As much as we encourage the private sector to try to negotiate their contracts, I always ask them, where is it you imagine you are going to get these vaccines from? They are very limited in supply.

“They don’t want to take my word for it, so I will let them procure, but to manage the expectations of Malaysians I can tell you the (vaccine on the) private market will not immediately be available,” he added.

Khairy has been a part of the negotiations with manufacturers for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines on behalf of the Malaysian government.

The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia and private healthcare practitioners have repeatedly urged the government to allow private hospitals to procure and administer the vaccines.

It has asked Putrajaya to consider allowing private vaccination programmes for those who can afford to pay to speed up immunisation of the population.

Khairy, however, said he remains open to discussing with the private sector on allowing their own procurement of the Covid-19 vaccines. – March 29, 2021.