SEPANG, July 1 — Malaysia today received one million doses of the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine donated by Japan to further intensify the vaccination process under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).
The vaccines arrived at the Gate C32 of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport via Japan Airlines flight JAL723 (Boeing 787) at 5.20pm.
Those present to witness the arrival were Japan’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Hiroshi Oka; Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein; and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
With this contribution, Malaysia has received a total of 1,828,000 doses of the AZ vaccine as of today.
Earlier, Malaysia’s Ambassador to Japan Datuk Kennedy Jawan was at the Narita International Airport, Chiba, Japan at 10.20am (Malaysian time) to witness the sending-off of the vaccines.
The AZ vaccines will be sent to vaccination centres in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor Baru, Penang and Sarawak under the PICK programme.
Japan has agreed to donate similar amounts of the AZ vaccine to the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Oka said the vaccine donation from Japan to Malaysia was the latest symbol of the longstanding friendship between both countries.
“In his message to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said the contribution to Malaysia was a token of the deep friendship between Japan and Malaysia,” Oka said, noting that next year marks the 65th anniversary of the Japan-Malaysia diplomatic relations as well as the 40th anniversary of the Look East Policy. — Bernama
