IPOH, Dec 15 — The cost of purchasing a supply of vaccines to be given to foreigners will be announced soon, said Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye.

He said the ministry would discuss the matter with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) next week.

"For the time being, we are focusing more on efforts to control polio before looking at the need for vaccinations for other diseases,” he told reporters after officiating the Placemaking Festival 2019 at the GRC Convention Hall here today.

Yesterday, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that the ministry would seek the cooperation of the government of the Philippines to obtain vaccines seeing it could secure a cheaper supply of vaccines.

On December 8, the media reported that a three-month-old baby from Tuaran, Sabah was infected by the polio virus, namely, the first case after 27 years Malaysia was free of the disease.

Meanwhile, asked on plans to make vaccination mandatory for children, Dr Lee said at the moment, there was no need for the ministry to do so. — Bernama