Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has announced that the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will be arriving in the country on 21 February.
Muhyiddin said this in a televised broadcast on Tuesday (16 Feb) during the launching of a guidebook for the National COVID-19 Immunisation Plan.
“The vaccine will be rolled out beginning 26 February, and I will be the first person to receive the vaccine alongside front line workers,” he said.
Muhyiddin justified that him being the first to receive the vaccine will help boost public confidence over the safety of the vaccine.
He also launched the www.vaksinvovid.gov.my website, adding that the immunisation book will be available on the website.
Muhyiddin went on to highlight the importance of the vaccine in protecting the public, noting that it will bring positive impact to the whole nation. He also urged members of the public to register for the vaccine when the time comes.
Meanwhile, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin took to his Twitter to say that a total of 312,390 doses of the vaccine will be brought by a MASkargo flight to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) where they will be sorted and subsequently sent to various vaccine storage sites around the country.
As announced by PM @MuhyiddinYassin, we will receive our first shipment of Pfizer vaccines on 21 Feb. A MASkargo flight will bring 312,390 doses of the vaccine to KLIA where it will be sorted and sent to various vaccine storage sites around the country.
— Khairy Jamaluddin 🇲🇾🌺 (@Khairykj) February 16, 2021
“We will have the army and police escorting and securing the vaccines from end to end,” he added in a later tweet.
On 4 February, Muhyiddin said that the Government has successfully acquired the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine which will be given for free to 26.5 million Malaysians via the COVID-19 National Immunisation Program involving three phases.
He noted that there will be more than 600 vaccination centres across the country – having been converted from public facilities such as stadiums, convention centres, public halls, and universities under the Emergency Ordinance 2021.
