KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Malaysia administered 462,242 Covid-19 vaccines yesterday, close to but under the country’s target of half a million vaccinations daily.

However, the number meant that the country has remained above the 400,000-dose mark nearly every day since July 12.

On Twitter, Health Minister Datuk Seri Adham Baba announced that of yesterday’s vaccinations, 301,536 were given out as the first of two doses while another 160,706 went to those getting their second shot for full protection.

Cumulatively, Malaysia has now given out 16.5 million doses of vaccines and vaccinated 5.3 million residents, representing 22.5 per cent of the adult population or 16.1 per cent of the entire country including those unable or not yet eligible to be vaccinated.

Malaysia has been ramping up its vaccination rate sharply, with an eye on achieving around half a million daily vaccinations in order to meet the government’s accelerated target of immunising the country’s entire population against Covid-19 by October.

Yesterday, Malaysia recorded an all-time high of 15,573 new Covid-19 infections in a single day, pushing the country to the cusp of the psychological million-case mark.