Dewan Negara caucus proposes national vaccine development roadmap

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The Dewan Negara Caucus on People's Well-being proposes that the government formulate a National Vaccine Development Roadmap as a plan for the country to produce locally made vaccines which comply with international guidelines.

Caucus chairman Senator Datuk Razali Idris said the move is seen as necessary as a long-term plan.

At the same time, the caucus hoped the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force would play a vital role in combating fake or misleading information on the first batch of vaccines received on Sunday (Feb 21).

"In this regard, people should be given true, accurate and quick information on the Covid-19 vaccines obtained by Malaysia such as Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Sinovac, CanSinoBio and Sputnik V, ” he said in a statement here Tuesday (Feb 23).

He described the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, which will be led by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin Wednesday (Feb 24) as a courageous act aimed at restoring the people’s well-being and the country’s economy.

With the slogan "Lindungi Diri, Lindungi Semua (Protect Yourself, Protect All)", the Perikatan Nasional government has implemented a national mission to ensure the country continues to remain safe, secure, prosperous and stable, he said.

The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme which will begin Wednesday, will be rolled out in three phases up to February next year.

The first phase, to be carried out until April, will see the vaccination of 500,000 frontliners comprising medical and non-medical personnel.

The second phase of the programme, between April and August, will see the immunisation of high-risk groups, namely senior citizens and vulnerable groups aged 60 years and above, while the third phase involves adults aged 18 and above who will receive the vaccine between May this year and February next year, targeting more than 13.7 million people. - Bernama