PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will study data on how long vaccine recipients are protected from Covid-19 risks as preparations are made to procure more supplies next year.

       The Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV) is gearing up to procure more vaccines as other developed countries mull the need for a third booster shot especially with the emergence of the more resistant and transmissible Delta variant, said Khairy Jamaluddin (pic), who is the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister.

       “We are seeing developed countries making preparations to procure vaccines next year so we are also studying the data to see if we need to start negotiating to get our supply,” he said after visiting the vaccination centre at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre yesterday.

       Khairy, who is also Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, said the committee also aims to identify if immunity to Covid-19 after getting vaccinated might wane at any point.

       “We want to know when is the right time to provide the booster shot if protection does wane at all,” he said.

       He said the need for a booster shot was being discussed as several countries deal with the emergence of the Delta variant.

       About 90% of new infections in Britain are caused by the Delta variant and it also led Israel to reinstating the wearing of masks indoors, he noted.

       Khairy also said the plan to mix different vaccines had been put on the backburner for the moment because of a lack of clinical and real world data on its effectiveness.

       However, the technical group studying the method will continue their research as many countries are also still analysing the data.

       For now, he said the programme will stick to the plan of giving people two doses of the same vaccine.

       On another matter, Khairy said PPVs nationwide can expect to have ample stocks of vaccines next month to cope with the increased utilisation rate as more stocks are expected to arrive.

       “Our utilisation rate is now at 90% and there have been incidents where the PPVs have run out of stock and a fresh supply could only be delivered within two days,” he said, adding that some states used up their vaccine supplies quicker than the arrival of new stocks.

       Khairy said although these instances were rare, there have been cases where vaccine recipients went home without their jabs and had to reschedule because the PPV ran out of vaccines.

       The problem would be rectified with proper planning, he said.

       Currently, he said seven million out of the eight million doses in supply have been used and the balance is being distributed to states.

       Khairy also said Selangor would be getting more than 20% of the total vaccine supply to further accelerate the vaccination drive in the state.

       “The vaccination rate in Selangor has increased with the opening of more PPVs and the utilisation rate has picked up,” he said.

       Khairy said the vaccination drive in Selangor had previously vaccinated 20,000 people a day before increasing that rate to 50,000 a day, but added that the state needed to do more to reach the goal of 100,000 per day.

       On another matter, Khairy said two vaccination centres will open in Kemaman, Terengganu, to inoculate workers in industrial sectors there.

       The oil and gas sector PPV will open in Kerteh on July 1 while the Eastern Steel Industrial PPV in Chukai will start on July 2.

       Khairy added that the vaccination programme for the economic sectors will be expanded to cover other industries soon.