MORE than a year after the novel coronavirus emerged in Malaysia, leading to the loss of more than 1,000 lives to infection, the vaccine will arrive on these shores today,

Malaysia Airlines flight MH604 is expected to land around 10am with more than 300,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Health Minister Dr Adham Baba, coordinating minister for the national immunisation programme Khairy Jamaluddin, Transport Minister Dr Wee Ka Siong and director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah will be at the airport to take delivery of the shots.

The arrival of the vaccine will kick-start the largest vaccination campaign ever in the country.

It is hoped that immunisation will restore normalcy to life in Malaysia, one of the earliest countries to use the vaccine in Southeast Asia, population 32 million.

The Pfizer shot is certified effective and approved for use by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency of the Health Ministry (MOH).

Six hundred vaccination stations have been set up nationwide at the clinics and hospitals.

Immunisation will take place in three phases. The first phase from February 26 to April will see the inoculation of frontline personnel of the MOH, police and the armed forces.

Senior citizens, people with morbidity conditions and the disabled are next in line for the shots in the second phase from April to August.

The third phase from May to February 2022 is open to all aged 18 and above.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to be the first to receive the vaccine.

The government has reached agreement with Pfizer to acquire 12.8 million doses of vaccine to be delivered in batches starting today. The doses are enough for 20% of the population. – Bernama, February 21, 2021.