PUTRAJAYA: Allowing private companies to sell Covid-19 vaccines may encourage “queue cutting” and the emergence of fake vaccines, says Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He said for that reason, the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines will strictly be between the government and the producers only.
“The government is given the responsibility to deal with the producers of Covid-19 vaccines directly to procure them.
“No private companies have been given the licence to sell them and to commercialise them. We (the government) may use private hospitals to administer the Covid-19 vaccines for their patients, but we are the ones who give it to them.
“This ensures the vaccines are given free of charge.
“The fear is that if we allow commercialisation of the vaccines, there will be queue cutting, and fake vaccines may emerge, ” said Dr Noor Hisham during a virtual engagement session with the media on Friday (Feb 26).
Dr Noor Hisham disagreed when asked if allowing private companies to give out Covid-19 vaccines will help speed up the national immunisation programme and achieve herd immunity faster.
“The producers sell directly to the government, not top private companies. We do not want this to cause the rich to get the vaccines while the poor do not, ” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham added that the country’s immunisation programme has already been systemised, with every single vaccine shot documented on the MySejahtera application.
“By scanning a QR code on the MySejahtera app, you will be able to tell the value of your vaccine and the type of vaccine that was administered on you.
“It is identifiable and traceable. This ensures quality, ” said Dr Noor Hisham.
