As of February 2021, Malaysia has secured 66.7 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility and advance purchases from five vaccine manufacturers. Of the five vaccine manufacturers, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has obtained conditional approval from the Drug Control Authority (DCA) and the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) on the 8th of January 2021. The remaining four COVID-19 vaccine candidates are still pending approval from NPRA. The supply of vaccines from these five suppliers will be received in stages by Malaysia starting February 2021, subject to NPRA approval.

Efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine and why is it different? The efficacy of a vaccine, or how well the vaccine works, is seen through its ability to protect individuals from the symptoms of COVID-19 through vaccination. The efficacy level varies according to the way clinical studies are conducted, the type of vaccine, the risk of disease in volunteers and various other factors. Although the efficacy level varies, WHO has prescribed that the minimum level of efficacy for the COVID-19 vaccine is 50%. All vaccines approved by NPRA are safe and efficacious for use in Malaysia.

Resources : National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme https://www.vaksincovid.gov.my/pdf/National_COVID-19_Immunisation_Programme.pdf

Date of Input: 30/06/2021 | Updated: 07/03/2022 | aslamiah