AHEAD of an anticipated mass roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines in Malaysia next year, private sector players are positioning themselves to fill any gaps in the vaccine supply chain, notwithstanding Putrajaya’s supply arrangement with Pfizer and the Covid-19 vaccine global access (COVAX) facility.
Comments by Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin that vaccine arrangements by private companies are purely commercial deals and not related to the government have not dimmed private sector interest in the Covid-19 vaccine supply.
Local companies that have jumped onto the bandwagon say they are not unduly worried, as they believe they have a role to play in the supply chain, particularly if they are able to obtain vaccines that are safer or more affordable.
LIKE many companies, Yong Tai Bhd has not been spared from the adverse impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, due to its presence in the tourism and property sectors. With no silver lining in sight for the next two years, the company has had no choice but to invest in new business opportunities.
It hopes that its plan to distribute a Covid-19 vaccine announced earlier this month will be its turning point. “Today, we cannot keep pumping money into the property sector. Good money should not be put into a risky business or bad industry anymore. Proceeds from the fundraising should be used in the right industry,” Yong Tai CEO Datuk Wira Boo Kuang Loon tells The Edge in an interview.
Dr Akhmal: ‘While we wait for a Covid-19 vaccine to be procured, distributed, and administered to our population, clinical research is an important step to ensure that the vaccine fulfils the requirement of the regulatory authorities which looks at its safety, quality, and efficacy.’
MALAYSIA is now seeing the initiation of the first Covid-19 vaccine trial in the country.
“It is a Phase 3 vaccine trial, by the Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. The trial application is currently ongoing for review and approval by the regulatory authority and ethics committee before being conducted in our hospitals here, ” says Dr Akhmal Yusof, CEO of Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM).