Healthy Adult Malaysians To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine From Q3 2021

Healthy Malaysians above 18 to be vaccinated by Q3 2021 or later

With our country going back into lockdown and daily cases still hitting record-high figures, Malaysians have been plagued with COVID-19 setbacks for months on end now. Fortunately, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba has confirmed that registration for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine will open soon as they’re expecting stocks to arrive by late February. Healthy adult Malaysians aged between 18 and 60 can also expect to get vaccinated from 2021 Q3.

Vaccines will be delivered on a quarterly schedule

Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, and Co-Chair of The Special Committee on Ensuring Access To COVID-19 Vaccine Supply (JKJAV), Khairy Jamaluddin has released an official statement detailing the vaccine delivery schedule to manage the nation’s expectations.

Khairy Jamaluddin speaking
Image credit: Khairy Jamaluddin

Khairy stated that though some stocks for the vaccine are expected to arrive by late February, it doesn’t mean that the whole country will be vaccinated immediately or at the same time.

As the rest of the world is also placing orders for COVID-19 vaccines, the demand is simply too astounding that it’s impossible for a country to receive their entire order in one go.

Here in Malaysia, Khairy has confirmed that the roll-out of the vaccines will follow a quarterly schedule. In fact, it may well take up to 18 months to get the bulk of the Malaysian population vaccinated.

Vaccinations for frontliners, including those in medical, healthcare, and security sectors, will be prioritised as expected. Then, senior citizens above 60 and high-risk individuals suffering from chronic illnesses will be next. Healthy Malaysians above 18 and below 60 can expect to get vaccinated from the third quarter of the year, depending on clinical data and availability.

Roll-out of vaccines do not mean the end of the pandemic

COVID-19 vaccine
Image credit: Unsplash, Hakan Nural

To rectify the impression that once people are vaccinated, the world will be COVID-free, Khairy has strongly reiterated that the vaccine is not a miracle solution.

Even if we are vaccinated, we may still carry the virus and have the potential to transmit it others, as reported by The New York Times. But the case for getting vaccinated is to prevent ourselves from getting sick, and to achieve herd immunity so that those who cannot get vaccinated because of age or other underlying health issues can be protected too.

So until herd immunity is achieved, current SOPs such as wearing a mask when you’re out in public, practising social distancing, and regularly sanitising your hands still stand.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for healthy adult Malaysians

While this news of vaccine roll-out for the last batch of Malaysians – healthy adults who are between the ages of 18-60 – is definitely welcome, we still need to keep our guards up. The government has recently announced that the MCO will be extended till 4th February as daily cases are still alarmingly high. With a new record of 4,275 cases reported just two days ago on 23rd January, the decision to extend the MCO is painful, but necessary.

So continue staying home, adhere to strict SOPs if you have to be out, and hang in there, Malaysians.

Stay alert with more COVID-19 updates here:

Cover image adapted from: Khairy Jamaluddin and Unsplash, Hakan Nural

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