KOTA BARU: The Kelantan Health Department will stop dispensing the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine and replace it with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at all vaccination centres in the state by the end of July.

       State Health director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin said supplies of the Sinovac vaccine would be halted at the end of July.

       "From Sunday (July 18), all vaccination centres in Kelantan will only be supplied with enough Sinovac vaccines for second doses," he was reported as saying by Harian Metro on Thursday (July 15).

       In a notice sighted by the Malay news portal, Dr Zaini reportedly said that there would be no more first doses of the Sinovac vaccine given from July 13.

       When contacted, Dr Zaini confirmed the notice to Harian Metro, but declined to explain why the state would stop using the Sinovac vaccine.

       However, he said it did not involve a lack of supply of the vaccines to Kelantan.

       "After this, Kelantan will only use the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine," he was quoted as saying.