PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s decision to stop giving Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines is because the country will receive its completed delivery order by the end of July, says Khairy Jamaluddin.

       The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister dismissed speculations that the country’s decision was to do with concerns over the vaccine’s efficacy.

       “We have truly finished using the supplies of Sinovac vaccines. Our orders have all been delivered by Pharmaniaga.

       “This has nothing to do with alleged concerns over the vaccine’s efficacy. I have seen much speculation on why we had to stop using Sinovac but it is only because we have received our entire delivery,” said Khairy at the weekly Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) joint press conference with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

       Khairy said in total, the government had procured 15 million doses of Sinovac vaccines.

       This includes an extra three million doses that the government had recently ordered, which Khairy said will be delivered by the end of July or early August.

       Khairy said initially, the delivery of Sinovac vaccines was to last until November, but the government had requested for it to be brought forward to speed up the country’s vaccination programme.

       “After negotiating with Pharmaniaga, we sped up the delivery for Sinovac vaccines. Now, our vaccination rate has increased and our immunisation programme is one of the fastest in the world,” said Khairy.

       He said from August onwards, vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech will be the main ones used for the national vaccination programme.