MALAYSIA has secured 66.7 million doses of vaccines from five manufacturers, according to data from the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme handbook.

The government document said this will be enough to immunise “109.65% of the population”.

As of last year, the estimated population of Malaysia was 32.73 million.

The Malaysian Insight has reached out to Health Minister Dr Adham Baba about the excess vaccines

Putrajaya previously said it procured enough vaccines to immunise 26.5 million people, or about 80% of the population.

Latest data in the handbook released today, stated Malaysia has increased its purchase of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to 32 million doses from the previously stated 12.8 million, which will be sufficient to immunise 50% of the population, or about 16 million people. 

The government will purchase 12.8 million doses from AstraZeneca, which will cover 20% of the population.

Another 12 million doses will be procured from China-based Sinovac, which will cover 18.75% of the population, and another 3.5 million doses for about 11% of the population will be procured from another Chinese manufacturer, CanSinoBIO. 

The government will also purchase 6.4 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, which is enough to  cover 10% of the population.

All of the vaccines except for the CanSinoBio jab will be administered in two doses. 

A total of RM3 billion was allocated under Budget 2021 for the procurement of vaccines.

The country is set to receive the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines on February 21.

The national Covid-19 immunisation programme will begin on February 26, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced today.

Vaccinations will be voluntary. – February 16, 2021.