PETALING JAYA: The government has announced a Covid-19 vaccine injury fund, with RM10 million allocated for now, to compensate individuals who might suffer side effects from being immunised.
Health minister Dr Adham Baba said vaccine recipients who suffer serious side effects that require lengthy treatment in hospital stand to receive RM50,000.
Meanwhile, those who suffer permanent impairments or death will get RM500,000,
FMT reported.
The fund will be managed by the National Disaster Management Agency.
“This is a practical step taken by the government to face the possibility of adverse effects brought about by the Covid-19 vaccine. This will help fund the needs of those who might be affected,” Adham said at a press conference today.
Science, technology and innovation minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who was present, said this also showed the government’s confidence in the vaccines.
Khairy announced that an agreement was signed this morning to procure another 12 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, which will be “filled and finished” by Pharmaniaga here. This is different from the completed doses that arrived directly from China.
He said some 100,000 more completed doses of the vaccine arrived in Malaysia today, bringing the total number of completed Sinovac vaccine doses to 200,000.
He also said he and Adham will be discussing the roll-out date for the second phase of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme with the special committee, with an announcement expected next week.
Asked about the Indonesian Ulema Council’s claim that the AstraZeneca vaccine was “haram tapi harus” (haram but necessary), Khairy said the relevant agencies will be studying the components of the vaccine and issue their decision accordingly.
He also said AstraZeneca will present the vaccine delivery schedule to him in a week’s time.
Last Friday, Indonesia’s highest Muslim clerical council said the vaccine was haram because the manufacturing process used “trypsin from the pork pancreas”.
However, the council approved the vaccine for use in light of the pandemic.
Khairy also announced that 6,155,213, or 25.4% of the population, have registered for the vaccination through the MySejahtera application.
A total of 412,342 have received their first doses, while 16,368 have received their second doses.
