UK donates 415,000 doses of AstraZeneca to Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has received another vaccine contribution, this time from the United Kingdom donating 415,000 doses of the UK-manufactured AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said Malaysia welcomes the announcement made by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Secretary of State Dominic Raab on the matter.

The contribution, he said, would assist in intensifying the daily vaccination rate of the ongoing National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.

“On behalf of the Government of Malaysia, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my counterpart Dominic Raab and the Government of the United Kingdom for this generous contribution to Malaysia's immunisation programme,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (July 28).

Hishammuddin said during their recent communication, Raab expressed hope that the contribution would assist Malaysia in alleviating the prevailing pandemic situation.

“This is the epitome of our long-standing and strong relationship that would further strengthen cooperation bilaterally and at various levels.

“Malaysia is highly appreciative of the support extended by the UK and believe both countries could work together on many productive endeavours to weather the pandemic and towards meaningful recovery.

“This also includes collaboration on reciprocal vaccination arrangements and reciprocal travel bubble,” said the Foreign Minister.

Earlier this month, Malaysia had received one million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine from the United States.

Malaysia had also received one million doses of AstraZeneca donated by the government of Japan.

National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin had also said that Malaysia was expected to receive some 500,000 doses of Covid-19 Sinovac vaccine contributed by China.