Report: Selangor to buy up to 5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for state residents

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — The Selangor government will buy as many as five million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for the state’s residents, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said.

According to Berita Harian, he said this was to ensure Selangor residents would have adequate access to the vaccines.

“Selangor needs to buy more because we have a greater need due to the state’s industry depending on workers, including foreign workers.

“So far, the Covid-19 vaccine is prepared for citizens. They (foreign workers) will need to buy the vaccine,” he was quoted as saying when met at the Sabak Bernam District and Land Office today.

Amirudin said that the purchase will be discussed with the federal government this Wednesday.

The report, however, did not identify which manufacturer or supplier Selangor intended to approach.

Malaysia is set to receive its first supply of vaccines next month, from pharmaceutical company Pfizer, who has promised to supply the country with 25 million doses of the vaccine through several batches of deliveries.

The 25 million doses should immunise 12.5 million people, as each person requires two doses of the vaccine.

The federal government plans to immunise 82.8 per cent or 26.5 million of the Malaysian population, and is in talks with other vaccine manufacturers such as AstraZeneca and Sinovac to procure the remainder of necessary vaccines.

As of December 22, the federal government estimated that it will be spending RM2.05 billion for the enterprise.

In past weeks, Selangor has repeatedly been the state with the highest daily records for new Covid-19 cases. A large number of the cases here have been found among communities of foreign workers at construction sites and factories.

Yesterday, the state recorded 730 new cases, which made up 30 per cent of all the cases reported nationwide that day.