QUOTE(Fanvil1534 @ Apr 4 2021, 05:17 PM)
ISKANDAR PUTERI: Malaysia will review the use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine following cases of blood clots and deaths in the United Kingdom.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the decision on the AstraZeneca vaccine would be made during a vaccine committee meeting this Tuesday (April 8).
"We will receive a report from a group of experts on the latest developments pertaining to this vaccine as there are several cases being reported as well as from the United Kingdom regulatory body about blood clots and we will look at the data available.
"However, the public should not worry as Malaysia has yet to receive the delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine even though it has been (conditionally) approved for use," he added.
Khairy said this in a press conference following a meeting with Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad at Kota Iskandar here on Sunday (April 4).
He added that the government had ordered about 6.4 million doses and another 1.4 million doses via Covax, expected to be delivered in May.
Khairy pointed out that the ministry had several backup plans if the AstraZeneca vaccine will not be used in Malaysia.
He also said Pfizer had offered another 12.8 million doses of the vaccine on top of the 30 million doses already ordered.
Presently, only the PfizerBioNTech and Sinovac vaccines have been approved for use in Malaysia.
AFP reported the UK medical regulator as saying on Saturday (April 3) that seven out of 30 people who suffered blood clots after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine had died.
The British acknowledgement of deaths comes as several European countries have paused the use of the AstraZeneca jab over a potential link to blood clots.