MP SPEAKS | Is vaccine supply falling short of govt's estimation?

MP SPEAKS | As Malaysians have been enduring the latest movement control order for more than a week now with daily Covid-19 positive numbers showing no signs of improvement, we begin to wonder if MCO 3.0 will be extended and most importantly, when will we be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?

Indeed, many things may not be within our control such as emerging variants. However, we can at least do other things such as increasing efficiency and speed to trace, test, and isolate as well as managing the vaccination rollout better to lower the number of cases and severity of the positive cases.

Vaccination rollout in the United Kingdom showed clearly that vaccination although not the silver bullet is a major solution to the crisis. Let me illustrate that in numbers.

The UK started its vaccination roll-out at the beginning of 2021. At the start of the year, the first dose vaccination rate was less than three percent while the full vaccination rate was less than one percent. As of now, nearly 70 percent of the UK population has received at least the first dose of vaccine, and about 40 percent completed two doses of vaccine.

The number of their Covid-19 positive cases dropped from the range of 60,000 per day in January 2021 to the range of 2,000 per day in May 2021. Within just five months of efficient vaccine rollout, the UK saw a drop of more than 95 percent of positive cases!

Malaysia's National Covid-19 Immunisation Plan was launched on Feb 24, 2021. On April 14, 2021, Immunisation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin shared on social media an estimation of the vaccine supply and demand curve by the Special Committee on Ensuring Access to Covid-19 Vaccine (JKJAV).

It was reported that Malaysia administered 2.07 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines as of yesterday according to JKJAV. Assuming 70 percent usage rate, we have received about 2.95 million vaccines so far. However, from the estimation graph, we should have received about six million vaccine supply by mid-May (red arrow). Is our vaccination supply now falling short of the earlier estimation?

Even if we don’t look back and find fault, the graph also shows that in the month of May, we’ll receive four million additional vaccine supply. Looking at how urgent it is for faster vaccination rollout, and two-thirds of the month of May has gone, we would like to seek clarification from the government if the estimated four million doses of additional vaccines this month will be achieved? And is the government going to find ways to compensate for the shortfall of vaccine supply from the estimation?

The government cannot put the entire blame of vaccine shortage on the behavior of developed countries. We should find ways to do more efficiently what we can control.

For example, Pharmaniaga received 200 litres of Sinovac vaccine in bulk for fill-and-finish on Feb 27, 2021. However, the first batch of locally filled-and-finished Sinovac vaccines (290,480 doses) was only ready to be distributed last week - more than 10 weeks after receiving the bulk supply. The government should review the process and if possible, find ways to shorten the bulk-to-vials process (without compromising safety).

We once again call upon the government to use a whole-of-government and all-of society approach so that we as a nation can achieve the vaccination target set earlier – i.e supply equivalent to 80 percent of population by October and 80 percent population fully vaccinated by February 2022.

The opposition (parties and states), as well as the private sector, are not enemies to the government in this. There is still room for more collaboration that the government can leverage, so that we can together ensure the National Covid-19 Immunisation Program will be a success.

YEO BEE YIN is the DAP MP for Bakri and is a former minister for energy, science, technology, environment, and climate change.