PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia finds the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine more attractive as recipients need to take only one dose, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba
(pic).
“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses a one-dose method and thus makes it very attractive to use,” he told reporters after receiving a donation of 2.7 million low dead-volume syringes worth RM891,000 from Etiqa Family Takaful Berhad at his ministry here Thursday.
On Wednesday, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin had announced that the government will sign a Covid-19 vaccine procurement contract with Johnson & Johnson from the United States soon.
He said that so far, the clinical information on this vaccine has been positive and based on the recommendation of the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV), the Cabinet decided to purchase the vaccine.
Dr Adham and Khairy are the co-chairmen of the JKJAV.
Commenting further on this vaccine, Dr Adham said the government had not yet determined the number of doses to be obtained from Johnson & Johnson.
Meanwhile, Dr Adham said all the syringes received today would be used in the first phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme which will start on Feb 26 involving about 500,000 frontline workers.
“This contribution can at least help the Malaysian government’s efforts in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic in the country as well as being a good example to corporate companies that can participate in helping the government,” he said.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Tuesday had announced that Malaysia would receive its first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine this Sunday (Feb 21) while the roll out of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme would begin in phases from Feb 26.
Muhyiddin said that he would receive the shot on the first day of the programme implementation, together with frontliners.
The first phase of the programme, which is until April, will involve the frontliners, followed by the second phase, which is from April until August, for the high-risk groups.
The third phase involves adults aged 18 and above and will be from May this year till February next year. – Bernama
Consent form
not the
final version
KUALA LUMPUR: The Covid-19 vaccination consent form which has gone viral on social media is not the final version of the form to be used in the national vaccination programme.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the finalised version of the Covid-19 vaccination consent form will be distributed to eligible recipients soon, beginning with recipients listed in the first phase.
“Since Covid-19 vaccination is voluntary, the form is an important document to be filled in by the recipients to declare their consent to be voluntarily vaccinated.
“A consent form is also being used in other countries where people have to opt-in and sign the form to be vaccinated in their respective Covid-19 vaccination programmes,” he said in a statement here Thursday.
Dr Noor Hisham said the contents of the consent form are to ensure that the vaccine recipients fully understand the information they read or explained to them by a health worker on the benefits and risks of the vaccine.
As such, he also advised the public not to spread inaccurate information that could cause public anxiety.
The viral consent form, among others, stated that individuals who agree to receive the jab must understand that they are responsible for any possible risks and that the vaccine does not guarantee that the recipient will not be infected with Covid-19 in future.
Dr Noor Hisham explained that the vaccine that will be brought into the country will be evaluated in terms of quality, efficacy and safety by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency.
He said reports from other countries which had implemented the vaccination programme indicated that the vaccine is safe.
Malaysia is set to roll out its National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme on Feb 26 with a target of having 80 per cent of 26 million of the population to be vaccinated in three phases.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is expected to arrive on Sunday.
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